A popular way to train for strength and stamina is to work out on a balance board for hockey. It may not bring the same results as if you were to lift heavy weights every day, but it will help you to stay agile, strong, and help to avoid becoming injured by moving the wrong way.
Your core is the part of your body that is in place so that you can stay balanced in several different ways:
- Balance as you stand up and move forward
- Balance so that your muscles do not pivot off balance and cause injury
- Balance to lay down and get back up again
- Balance to do pushups
- Balance to do pull-ups
- Balance to ride a bike
This list could go into the thousands, but you probably get the general idea of how important the core muscles are.
Balancing on a Balance Board
For some people, it is easy to get on a balance board and stay up there without any problems at all. For others, it is a bit of a challenge to find the balance at first. Either way, as soon as your body begins to balance up there on the board, your core muscles are activated and helping to prevent you from falling to the ground. The process is not always perfect for some people, and this is where core training comes in handy.
The first proof that you will have to show that working out on a balance board is working your core is that you will be able to balance better.
At first, balancing can be clumsy and choppy. After a while of balancing, your body gets used to it and your core muscles strengthen along with the connections between your brain and your muscles. This is what is known as muscle memory.
Pushing for More
Once you get the hang of balancing on your board you can start pushing yourself to further your training sessions. There are a number of different exercises that you can do while you balance on the board. Many hockey players love to train for stickhandling skills as they balance. As they steady themselves on the board, they can slap a training ball back and forth with their stick. Exercising in this manner helps to gain even more core strength, and adds to the benefits of the entire workout.
Balance Board Squats
Doing squats on a balance board might sound a little challenging, but many hockey players learn how to do them, and use them for various different exercises as they become stronger.
One thing about doing squats while you are balancing on a board is that your core will stay engaged and tight the entire time you are performing the workout. As you squat down, your leg muscles will engage in a couple of different ways.
First, your core is made up of several muscles that surround your body, including the muscles within your pelvic area. When you lower your body into a squat, your legs are using strength to support your body weight, while other parts of your legs are working with your core to keep you from falling down. If this sounds like a complicated action, it is because it is.
Conclusion
The body is a fascinating machine that works with all parts of itself in order to provide balance and health to us as we move around. Engaging in training exercises that build both the body and the mind together is a phenomenal way to build strength and muscle memory.
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