Each and every athlete should focus on conditioning their body to prepare for the specific sport. Conditioning not only helps athletes be prepared for their sport it also plays a crucial role in injury prevention. When following a strong conditioning program, athletes will lower the risk of injuries by strengthening ligaments, tendons, and muscles while creating a higher level of flexibility.During the course of a 70 minute field hockey game a player will run anywhere between 3-4 miles and switch from a slow jog to an all out sprint in a matter of nano seconds.
Creating a training program that works on high intensity sprints as well as long distance runs is beneficial for field hockey. Creating a conditioning plan that mixes sprinting and jogging during the same exercise will simulate more of a game like situation.Most athletes conditioning during the off season can be compromised because they are not practicing everyday. The off season is a great time to stay in shape and there is more time to work on speed and agility.
