How to Keep a Hockey Player in Shape in the Offseason

Hockey players

Hockey is a physically demanding sport, so it is important that hockey players stay in shape year-round to be physically able to play when the season rolls around. The key to staying in shape during the off season is to stay active, try new sports, and constantly challenge your body. You must be careful not to burnout by doing the same thing repeatedly, but rather mix up your workouts and conditioning exercises so they are fun. It is also important for hockey players to spend some time on the ice keeping up the skills of the game throughout the summer. Read on to learn how to keep a hockey player in shape in the off-season.

Things You'll Need

• Jump rope
• Free Weights
• Swimming pool
• Ice rink and hockey gear
• Plyometric boxes
• Resistance bands

Instructions

1. Join a summer house league or attend open practice sessions at your local ice rink. This will help keep your skills sharp and make sure you don't lose your ice legs. Also consider going to a week-long or a weekend hockey camp so you can spend a few days working intently on specific hockey drills and techniques. Try to schedule one camp at the start of the summer so you have things to work on throughout the summer, and schedule a second camp at the end of the summer so you are practiced and ready to return to the ice when the season starts.

2. Find a trainer or strength coach to help set up a summer training program. You will want to include a variety of strength training and cardio activities in this workout. Make sure there is enough variety in the day-to-day activities as well as variety throughout the summer to keep your mind and body from becoming bored with the workout.

3. Sign up with some summer sports teams. You should be able to find a variety of soccer, baseball, softball and tennis teams that run through the summer. Some will last a few weeks, others will last the entire summer. Sign up for whatever you are comfortable with, and try a few new sports. Quite a bit of what you learn in the new sports will help you on the ice in the upcoming season.

4. Concentrate on building up your lower body. Try to do some climbing, running, slide board and weight training for your legs. These will help keep your skating muscles in condition. Try to incorporate some squats, lunges, and jumps into your daily training.

5. Watch what you eat. It is very easy to pack on extra pounds in the off season, and much harder to lose them in time for the start of the season. Therefore, you should be very conscious about what types of food you eat and the size of the portion you eat. Eat well-balanced meals, and try to eat like an athlete throughout the off season. Eat several small meals throughout the day, and focus on eating a good amount of carbohydrates and some protein several hours before working out.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix up your workouts. Don't do the same thing every day. The more varied the workout is, the more you'll enjoy doing it, and the more you'll challenge your body.

• Playing other sports will help you improve in different aspects on the ice. For example, soccer will help you with lateral movement and getting around defenders, while yoga will help you develop and tone your muscles and become more flexible for skating.

• Be careful that you don't burnout on hockey. If you spend the entire summer playing summer leagues and going to hockey camps, you might find yourself burned out with the sport by the time the regular season rolls around.

• Don't get involved in any sport or activity that will cause harm to your body. With any sport, you always have the risk of injury. However, try to avoid sports that involve heavy lifting or a lot of unprotected body contact to keep yourself uninjured for the regular season.

Resources

• USA Hockey website
• Full summer hockey workout plan