Unfortunately, a common belief is that if we go...  read more...

You’re probably wondering why I am toasting to the ‘core’ and what I mean by it...well in this instance I am talking about core strength, core stability, the core of your body and why we...  read more...

Unfortunately, a common belief is that if we go for a nice 30-minute run at a steady pace every now and then, then that will do. Well it’s good for your overall fitness but not really preparing you for a match that is full of short bursts of running and recovery. In fact, when we train slow, we run slow. Ideally the best way to train for a match is to play a match, however, we don’t really have the time or resources to do that all the time!

So what we can do instead is called Interval Training. Here we get to train fast, so we run fast. Interval training is fantastic to work on your speed for a variety of sports such as hockey, rugby, football, running and it’s a great way to burn lots of fat (more so than long slow cardio training)! Your training becomes functional – mimicking some of the movements and types of running you need for a game. And another added bonus is that interval training doesn’t have to take up much of your time. You can reap benefits from just doing a 20-minute session once a week on top of hockey training. Ideal for those who have busy lives – there’s no excuse now.

You’re probably wondering now how interval training works and I will give you a couple of examples. Make sure you warm up before the intervals and cool down after. Once you’re ready to start, you can do 1 minute fast followed by 1 minute slow (walking or jogging, it has to be slower than the fast pace you did the minute before). Repeat this 5 times. Finish with a cool down. Make sure the minute you do fast is at a consistent pace (remember it’s not a sprint because technically you can only sustain a sprint up to 10 seconds or so) – for example, on a treadmill you might do 1 minute on 11.0 speed and then 1 minute on 6.0. You can also do a really quick burst of 15 seconds at 14.0 speed and then rest 45 seconds (feet on either side of treadmill, not running at all). Or go for 2 minutes running at 10.0 and 1 minute jog at 8.0. Everyone is different so play with what works for you and who knows...you might find you’re running even faster up and down that pitch...

Carrie Sanderson is a qualified Sports Massage Therapist and owner of Health & Healing in Bristol specialising in the prevention and treatment of sports injuries.

You’re probably wondering why I am toasting to the ‘core’ and what I mean by it...well in this instance I am talking about core strength, core stability, the core of your body and why we need to pay attention to it.

Anyone who reads a lot about health & fitness will have come across the word ‘core’ many times – it seems to be the buzz word at the moment, but in fact it’s an essential part of any training or sport that you do. Without a strong core, without a strong foundation, you’re more prone to injury, less likely to be performing at your fullest potential and taking longer to recover after games for example.

So what is the core? There are different definitions out there but I believe the core to be from your shoulders down to your hips, including the shoulders and hips. In pilates the core is often referred to as the ‘powerhouse’ and I strongly believe that our ‘power’ comes from a strong and stable core.  If this area is unstable and weak then we can often suffer from knee pains/injuries or ankle/foot problems as a couple of examples.

The key is to strengthen your core muscles so you have a strong base from which your other muscles in your legs and arms perform. So for hockey it’s really important to have strong hip, back and glute muscles in particular. And it wouldn’t hurt to work on those stomach and shoulder muscles too! Work to strengthen these and you’ll find that you’ll run faster and for longer, keeping fatigue longer at bay and therefore less likely for your skills to go downhill after a bit of running. Surely a good thing!

Some examples of core exercises you can do in your own front room whilst you’re watching tv for example are the plank, the bridge, Russian twists, Superman, jack knife, lunges, shoulder press, lat pulldown and many more.

To make them even more challenging, try the exercises on ‘unstable ground’, such as wobble boards/cushions, BOSU, stability balls, or do single leg where you’ve been doing with both legs – it’ll really test your balance too and co-ordination too.

So here’s to the core and all the benefits a strong one brings!

Carrie Sanderson is a qualified Sports Massage Therapist and owner of Health & Healing in Bristol specialising in the prevention and treatment of sports injuries.