All summer long players work on developing their game in order to be the most prepared for tryouts at the end of August. Most elite-level players will spend hours in the gyms and on the ice, developing their speed, agility, balance, strength and power, as well as correcting the bad habits they may have picked up over the past season. Once tryouts are over and team play begins, it’s important that players not only try to maintain their improvements throughout the season, but also find ways to take their game to the next level. Here are 11 Twist Conditioning training tips for your body and for your mind:
- Sleep – Be sure to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night so that your body is well rested for each game, practice or training session.
- Eat Healthy – Make sure you fuel your body with nutritious and whole foods because what you put in your body is what you get out of it.
- Take Care of Your Body – Maintain myofascial health and minimize risk of injury by incorporating foam rolling techniques.
- Maintain Strength Gains – You want to maintain strength and power gains by continuing to train between one and two times per week (depending on playing schedule). Sessions should be short so make them count!
- Maintain Joint Range of Motion – Continue to participate in flexibility routines to help reduce risk of injury.
- Increase Core Stability – On top of preserving strength and power, you should be looking to maintain or increase core stability for sustained performance.
- Better Your Balance – Continue to include balance training throughout the season to keep a fast-responding neuromuscular system.
- Look For Ways to Contribute – Be a great teammate by helping other players get through times of low self-esteem.
- Never Take a Practice Off – No matter what line you are on, make sure you are doing everything you can to improve your game. Always be working to increase your chance of gaining more ice time.
- Stay Mentally Strong – Avoid negative thoughts of your performances or of teammates and coaches. Focus, instead, on how you can improve for your next game.
- Keep Up with Other Activities – Make sure to maintain time with friends and family; a healthy balance between sports and life is important.
