Pre-Game Warm Up: Dos and Don'ts

When the puck drops at centre ice, you know exactly what to do and how important it is for your body to move the way it needs to for a winning game.

But knowing the right way to prep muscles before a game and helping them recover afterwards can be a bit of a mystery. That's why we're making this a 2-part series of pre-game and post-game dos and don'ts, so you'll be crystal clear on what's preparing your body for success.

In part one we're tackling the pre-game warm up.

The reason it's called a warm up is because your muscles, joints, and tissues are in an inactive state and they need to get ready for high intensity use. Just like starting a car to warm it up on a cold day, your body needs to warm up before it can move properly and safely.

Here are 3 reasons why warm ups are a must:

• Muscles don't like surprises: Ever been walking down the road and you trip on the uneven sidewalk? When you're thrown in a direction your body wasn't expecting, it tenses up to brace for impact, and tight muscles don't perform well. The same is true when you jump onto the ice without properly warming up, only to surprise your body with powerful starts and stops, movement in all directions, and the need for agile maneuvering. You won't be performing at your highest ability those first few shifts, and why would you settle for sub-par when you can start the game with a bang right out of the gate?

• It takes a while for your heart rate and blood flow to kick in: True, we don't want your heart rate spiking before the other team even lines up, but your going to want a healthy blood flow circulating throughout your body. Kind of like greasing the hinges on a squeaky door, when you warm up you're getting the kinks out of your muscles, joints, and ligaments so they know they're getting called into action.

• Get your head in the game: It's impossible to prep your body for its upcoming performance without also thinking about the skills required to get the job done. Visualizing your movements helps your mind practice what it'll do when the puck comes your way, both physically and mentally. You're starting to focus on the plays and movements way before they happen and that means you'll be ready to handle it when it actually happens because your mind has already seen it. Pretty cool, eh (yes- we're Canadian).

What should a warm up consist of?

Ok, now that you're ready to get started, here's how to warm up before you even lace up your skates:

• Get moving: There's a false belief that we need to stretch before a practice or game but the reality is that static stretches are best when they're done after training or games. So we're going to start with slow and deliberate movements that mimic the actions you'll take on the ice. We call this "dynamic" movement because it's action-oriented. You won't be standing still here!

• Hit every direction: If you'll be moving forward, backward, and side to side during the game you'll need to do that during warm up as well. The goal here is to go through the full range of motion for all body parts so they're ready no matter which direction you move.

• Keep it moderate: Save the high intensity for when you need it the most. Warm ups should never make you out of breath or feel exhausted but it should get your heart pumping. Think of your intensity level on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being lying on the couch and 10 being the hardest and most powerful skating you're capable of. Let's keep your off-ice warm up to a 5-7.

• Incorporate a few explosive movements to get those muscles firing on all cylinders before you lace up - a personal favourite over here are 5-10 jump squats!

Done correctly, your entire system will know the exact type of movements it can expect during the game and have the energy and stamina to make it happen.

Want to take your warm up to the next level and be 100% ready to go at game time? Try one week of Yoga for Hockey for free (no credit card required) by clicking here. 

You'll have access to our live and recorded classes, plus the entire library for a whole week!