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Field hockey is played on grass, gravel, or sand. It is much like original hockey, but it is played with a ball instead of a puck. Field hockey is a physically demanding sport, one that qualifies as intense exercise. As such, you must be physically fit in order to be successful in this sport. Overall fitness is important, not just any one area of fitness. There are several things you can do to improve sports performance for field hockey.
Competitive field hockey matches last around one hour, with a five minute break between half hour segments. These matches are highly demanding aerobically. In order to improve sports performance for field hockey, you will need to take in at least three hundred minutes of aerobic exercise per week. This will improve endurance and speed on the field. It will also prepare your body for the physically demanding efforts required to compete in field hockey.
A field hockey game requires the players to sprint quickly, change direction while sprinting, and intermittent running alternating accelerating and decelerating quickly. As such, sprinting and relay races are a great way to work in that cardio aerobic exercise. You will be training for the game and conditioning your body at the same time.
You should intersperse this aerobic exercise with strength training. Strength training is important to improve the condition of your body, both muscles and bones, in order to reduce the risk of injury while playing this sometimes violent sport. All of the major muscle groups should be targeted for a total of three sets of eight to ten reps for each muscle group.
It is important that you alternate aerobic exercise with strength training. Do not try to do both every day. You should do each three days per week, alternating every other day. Take the seventh day off for a much needed rest, or do cardio on that day as well. However, only three days per week of strength training is necessary to increase sports performance for field hockey. If you try to overdo it you could injure yourself permanently.
Finally, diet and nutrition are an important part of improving sports performance for field hockey. You want your body to be lean and muscular, but at the same time you do not want to lose too much weight. A high protein, low fat and low carb diet is generally the way to go. You can also take protein shakes and other nutritional supplements to help build muscle and burn fat. Remember that your goal is not weight loss, but rather to bulk up your muscles and add healthy weight to your frame. This will give you an added edge in this sometimes volatile sport.
Competitive field hockey matches last around one hour, with a five minute break between half hour segments. These matches are highly demanding aerobically. In order to improve sports performance for field hockey, you will need to take in at least three hundred minutes of aerobic exercise per week. This will improve endurance and speed on the field. It will also prepare your body for the physically demanding efforts required to compete in field hockey.
A field hockey game requires the players to sprint quickly, change direction while sprinting, and intermittent running alternating accelerating and decelerating quickly. As such, sprinting and relay races are a great way to work in that cardio aerobic exercise. You will be training for the game and conditioning your body at the same time.
You should intersperse this aerobic exercise with strength training. Strength training is important to improve the condition of your body, both muscles and bones, in order to reduce the risk of injury while playing this sometimes violent sport. All of the major muscle groups should be targeted for a total of three sets of eight to ten reps for each muscle group.
It is important that you alternate aerobic exercise with strength training. Do not try to do both every day. You should do each three days per week, alternating every other day. Take the seventh day off for a much needed rest, or do cardio on that day as well. However, only three days per week of strength training is necessary to increase sports performance for field hockey. If you try to overdo it you could injure yourself permanently.
Finally, diet and nutrition are an important part of improving sports performance for field hockey. You want your body to be lean and muscular, but at the same time you do not want to lose too much weight. A high protein, low fat and low carb diet is generally the way to go. You can also take protein shakes and other nutritional supplements to help build muscle and burn fat. Remember that your goal is not weight loss, but rather to bulk up your muscles and add healthy weight to your frame. This will give you an added edge in this sometimes volatile sport.