Properly preparing the body prior to a game, practice, or conditioning session is very important in assuring maximum performance and reducing the risk of injury.  Many coaches and players underestimate the value of warming-up prior to activity, and as a result the warm-up period is cut short or skipped altogether.  Others understand the importance of preparing for activity, but do not know how to effectively design or implement a proper warm-up.

The purpose of a warm-up period prior to a game, practice or conditioning session is to increase internal body temperature, and increase heart rate and thus blood flow.  The physiological changes that occur as a result of increasing body temperature and blood flow include; an increase in oxygen supply to the heart and muscles, an increase in muscle elasticity, and a decrease in joint stiffness.  The benefits that are derived from warming-up prior to activity are many and include:
1. Faster and stronger muscular contractions, meaning faster movement and harder shooting
2. Increased muscular coordination, meaning better skilled movements
3. Increased ability to do work, meaning a more productive shift
4. Decreased risk of injury
5. Increased flexibility or joint range of motion
6. Decreased abnormal heart response to exercise
Warming-up prior to activity also provides psychological benefits, as a warm-up can also decrease pre-event stress and help players focus on the upcoming challenge.

The most common error made by hockey coaches and athletes is the belief that typical static stretching constitutes a good warm-up.  While stretching is important and beneficial to increase flexibility, stretching is not a warm-up activity!  Sitting, twisting, reaching and bending, whether on the ice or in the weight room does not increase the heart rate, or elevate internal body temperature.  Not only do benefits of warm-up not occur with stretching, most experts believe that stretching is ineffective and actually dangerous when performed when the body is not warmed-up beforehand.  Stretching should be performed, therefore, after the warm-up period if time permits.

There are three types of warm-ups, passive, general and specific.  Passive warm-up involves increasing body temperature by some external means.  Massage, heating pads, and hot showers are examples of passive warm-up methods, however they may not be practical for many players.  A general warm-up consits of basic activities that involve major muscle groups, but in a way not consistent with the anticipated performance.  Jumping-jacks, jogging, and jump-rope are examples of general warm-up activities prior to a hockey game or weight-training session.  The third type of warm-up, specific warm-up, consists of  movements that are required for the actual event, but at a reduced level of intensity.  A specific warm-up for a hockey game or practice would be skating and shooting, but not quite as fast or as hard as possible.  A specific warm-up prior to a weight-training session would consist of a few sets performed with a light or moderate load.  All hockey players should engage in a general and specific warm-up prior to games, practices, and conditioning sessions.

Hockey players have a more difficult time than most athletes warming-up before a contest.  First of all, they often do not have access to the ice until only a few minutes before game time.  Second, their skates and small locker rooms restrict what activity they can do prior to going on the ice.  Hockey players should, therefore, warm-up just before getting dressed, or after getting dressed, but before lacing up the skates.  This can be done with the use of cardiovascular exercise equipment such as stationary bikes, however most teams do not have enough equipment for the entire team.  An effective warm-up can be attained without any equipment.  Most hockey rinks have an area, inside or out, where players can engage in light jogging, walk up and down stairs, jump rope, or simply perform jumping-jacks.  This general warm-up should last at least 5 minutes.  Stretching should be performed after the warm-up, if desired.

Even after lacing up the skates, players should attempt to stay active and warm prior to actually going on the ice.  This can be accomplished by performing in-place activities such as squats, knee lifts, arm circles, shoulder shrugs, neck turns, rotating or twisting the upper body side to side, and simulating splitting wood with an ax (wood-choppers).  More stretching can be performed at this time, once the body is warm, if desired.

As soon as it is allowed, players should get onto the ice and use all of the allotted time to engage in the  specific warm-up.  Start out slow, and gradually increase the intensity to just below that of game speed at the end of the warm-up session.  If desired, stretch after warming-up, just prior to going to the face off circle or bench.

Having the body warm, and preparing it to perform all-out bursts, as required in ice hockey, is critical to success and safety during the early part of a game, and each period.  Faster and stronger muscular contractions, increased coordination, and increased productivity, all as a result of a proper warm-up, can give you the early "jump" and lead on the opposition.

 Ed Kubachka is an exercise physiologist and certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS).  He currently teaches fitness classes at West Chester University, and runs a privately owned business, Optimum Performance Training.  He works with athletes and teams from the mite through professional level in the areas of performance enhancement and injury prevention.  He currently lectures for USA Hockey, and has produced two videos and a manual on conditioning for hockey.  You can visit his website at optimumpt.com, or e-mail him at info@optimumpt.com.  Feel free to send him questions at P.O. Box 395 Uwchland, PA 19480.  He may answer your question in an upcomimg issue.