1. Need for Speed
Hockey is a sport that can be played for life and provides a good workout for the whole body. You'll get cardio exercise by skating back and forth quickly between the goals and both upper and lower body workouts while shooting and skating. Running and speed walking, biking and hiking all provide excellent aerobic training activities to prepare you for a hockey game. If you can't get outside, use an elliptical machine, rower or stationary bicycle daily to keep your heart in shape for the ice.
2. Stop and Start
You'll need to develop your anaerobic capacity for the quick stops and starts in a hockey game. Interval training helps develop the capabilities to handle the big bursts of energy needed in hockey. Set up short runs, about 50 to 100 yards and run them as fast as you can. Stop, catch your breath and run back and do this for 20 minutes a couple of times a week. Running up and down stairs is another good anaerobic activity, when you run to the top of a stairway, stop, and then run back down. This exercise will also work your leg and back muscles.
3. Strong Arms, Strong Stick
The abs and the arms are in constant motion in hockey. Skating pulls on the abs and strong ab muscle will help you keep your balance. You hold the stick and shoot using both your arms and your upper body. Weight training and ab crunches should be a part of a regular exercise regimen to play your best game of hockey. Push ups and chin pull ups can add variety to this routine. Try to do the weight training after the aerobic workout so that the muscles will have fresh blood pumping to them.
4. Street Skating
When the ice melts, you don't want to lose your skating edge. Many hockey players take up inline roller-skating in the off-season to keep their skating edge. While the techniques differ somewhat, many of the same muscle groups and aerobic requirements apply. Find a skating rink or smooth street surface that will allow you to practice the quick starts and fast runs.
5. Pull it all Together
Hockey players need to maintain flexibility to be able to perform all the twists and turns and bang ups they receive in a game. Stretching will keep the muscles supple and malleable. Always stretch the hamstrings and calf muscles after a game and after training. Pull up with one hand on the foot on the opposite side. Hold for a count of ten. With your hands on a wall, stand back about two feet and bend your elbows so your chin touches the wall. Alternate each leg stretch by bending in with one knee as you touch the wall.
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