Elevate Your Play: Essential Warm-Up Tips for Hockey Players to Enhance Performance

A general warm-up of about 10 minutes for hockey players, from the youth hockey to college level, can help you improve hockey performance and lower your risk of injury.

One of the biggest conflicting factors that often makes athletes skip getting their body ready altogether, is that they aren't quite sure what they should be doing: static stretching, high intensity warm-up drills, or a dynamic warm-up? What actually works?

So in this article, we will cut straight to the chase and give you the best way to get your muscle groups ready for physical activity, a greater range of motion once you hit the ice, and have you game ready in no time.

Here you'll see the reason you should be performing a general warm-up and what the main benefits are to warming up your muscles before getting on the ice, and some of the best movements to get your muscle groups ready without needing an exercise bike to increase your body temperature.

In order to select the right warm-up drills, it’s important to see why you’re preparing your body to be active.

The main benefits of proper off-ice warm-ups routine for hockey players will:

• Raise your body temperature

• Increase range of motion in joints and muscles

• Reduce stiffness for the working muscles

• Prepare your body to do what you’re about to ask it to do
  
  
  Typically when hockey players get to the rink, they go straight from sitting in the car, to getting dressed in the locker room and then onto the ice for a brief warm-up that usually includes low intensity skating and shooting some pucks at the goalie.
  
  As you can imagine, the habit of going from car -> locker room -> ice isn't exactly doing any of the four things we mentioned in the main benefits.
  
  

While a lot of athletes will need to use the first 10 minutes of a game to ‘find their legs’, an athlete that gives themself time before the game to get their body temperature up and muscles ready will have the greater advantage. You won't need to spend your first few shifts using them to get your legs warmed up, you'll already be feeling loose and get to spend your time on-ice to play hard.

To both avoid a slow start and lower your risk of injury, your best bet is to incorporate a routine that enhances your flexibility, balance and strengthens muscle groups you’ll use, prior to action.

Now that we know why we do it, having an understanding of how to warmup is the second key to success. To keep it simple, here are three things to avoid:

• Warming up too early, and allowing your body to go cold before your game or training session begins. 

• Overdoing it by going straight into a high-intensity warm-up.

• Static stretching instead of dynamic stretching.
  
  

  Here is an example of what youth hockey players off-ice warm-ups might look like. Remember, it should always hit the muscle groups you’re going to be using, and should start from a slower pace with the intensity picking up as you move deeper into the movements.
  
  5 Minutes: Jog at a low intensity, or stick handle.
  
  5-8 Minutes Dynamic Warm-up Movements:

  • Hamstring Planes

  • Lateral Shuffle Arm Swings

  • Lateral Lunge with Turn

  • High Knees

  • Quad Ankle Reach

  • Walking Figure 4

  • Calf Sweep with Shoulder Roll

  • Forward Lunge with 2 way reach

    High Skip Reach
    
    3-5 minutes for greater range of motion:

  • Leg Swings (front/back and side/side)

  • Arm Circles

  • Neck Circles

  • Side Lying Thoracic Rotation

  • Ankle Circles

    
    Remember: a warm-up is a game-changer for hockey players at all levels, from youth to college and while there may be some conflicting methods, understanding the benefits can reshape your approach. A proper off-ice warm-up routine not only raises your body temperature but also enhances joint and muscle flexibility, reduces stiffness, and prepares your body for the physical demands of the game. By incorporating specific movements tailored to the muscle groups you'll be using, you can avoid the common pitfalls of a cold start and minimize the risk of injuries. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting, investing time in a thoughtful warm-up routine can significantly impact your performance on the ice. So, implement these warm-up strategies, lace up your skates, and experience the difference in your agility and strength from the first drop of the puck.
    
    
    
    Kristin Tullo is a certified strength and conditioning and sports psychology coach that has been working with athletes for ten years. Using her background in Social Work and former athletic career, she now helps athletes maximize their athletic potential through mental and physical strength.
    Share your athletic stories about role clarity with Coach Kristin!