Different people have different fitness requirements, just as different sports have different fitness components. Ice hockey is a sport that also requires fitness components in order to be successful.
Components of physical fitness
Physical fitness involves exercise activities that you do in order to improve your physical health and help you stay healthy overall. There are six components of physical fitness:
• Aerobic endurance
• Muscular endurance
• Flexibility
• Speed
• Muscular strength
• Body composition
1) Aerobic endurance
Also called cardio-respiratory endurance or aerobic fitness. Aerobic endurance is when the heart and lungs provide oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles …show more content…
Stationary bicycles which are good for cooling down after practice, and a good workout in between games. Chester step test is good a good test for aerobic fitness.
2) Muscular endurance
Is the ability to move your body and contract your muscles without feeling tired, over a period of time. Ice hockey is a game of movement and requires continues amount of movement. Due to this, it is important to have muscular endurance. Throughout the game ice hockey uses a lot of knee bends and body posture, this requires muscular endurance to help improve those skills.
Strengthening your quads, gluts, upper body and core will help build the muscular endurance and strength necessary for ice hockey on the ice rink. Strength -training exercises can help you achieve these, for example;
1. Front squats- for stronger legs
2. Chin up, which strengthens muscle in upper back and biceps
Grip dynamometer is also useful for testing your hand grip, which can be useful when holding the hockey stick.
3) Flexibility
Is the quality of bending easily without breaking, or the ability to move your joints freely. Flexibility is important for ice hockey, as you can control your body better while on the move, and perform well in defense. Flexibility can help you shoot the puck into the goal, and block the goal from the opponent team; you will also require good flexibility to avoid getting hurt. Some good stretches to improve you flexibility for ice hockey