Why Every Hockey Player Should Try Yoga

Yoga provides numerous benefits for hockey players, including:

• Improved flexibility and strength for better agility on the ice
• Reduced pain and stiffness in hips, back, and shoulders
• Enhanced cardiovascular endurance for longer and more intense shifts
• Increased lung capacity for better oxygen flow during play
• Boosted mental and emotional resilience to stay focused under pressure
• Reduced stress and anxiety before important games
• Improved focus and mood throughout training and competition
• Enhanced self-esteem and confidence on the ice
• Better sleep quality and faster recovery
• Increased self-awareness to understand your physical and mental limits

Isn’t that enough to at least consider trying a yoga class—with guidance from a certified yoga teacher? Too often, athletes focus solely on physical aspects like muscle strength, explosiveness, and reactivity. While these are important, modern performance also requires attention to energetic, mental, and even spiritual levels. Yoga helps integrate these elements, creating harmony between body, mind, and energy, ultimately enhancing overall performance.

How Yoga Enhances Hockey Performance

This article doesn’t aim to explore the philosophical origins of yoga. Our focus is practical: bringing hockey players closer to this inner and outer movement that is increasingly integrated into athletic training. Today, even internationally renowned athletes incorporate meditation, mindfulness, and yoga into their routines to boost performance. Think of LeBron James or Novak Djokovic. More and more athletes are seen with yoga mats, practicing postures combined with controlled breathing techniques, fully present and centered.

Short weekly sessions of 20–30 minutes are increasingly incorporated during summer training or the competitive season. These sessions often alternate between dynamic yoga sequences and exercises focused on muscle release, relaxation, and psycho-physical recovery. The most crucial aspect for a yoga teacher working with a sports team is functionality. Every session should be personalized, with tailored sequences gradually integrating postures and controlled breathing exercises (pranayama) to meet each player's individual needs.

Consider this: within a hockey team, no matter your role or personality, yoga can enhance both physical and mental performance. For example:

• A forward whose primary focus is scoring—managing mental pressure effectively
• A defender aiming for clean defensive plays—maintaining focus under stress
• A goalie needing sharp reflexes—staying mentally alert for every shot
• Players experiencing energy dips—learning techniques to sustain performance
• Individuals who struggle with negative thinking or emotional control
• Players dealing with back or hip pain, or slower recovery times
• Those unable to consistently show up mentally prepared for practice or games

The Importance of Breathing in Hockey

The list of benefits is extensive, and you’ve likely experienced one or more of these situations firsthand. Yoga for hockey players isn’t mysticism—it’s a concrete and practical path to improving both body and mind.

Let’s focus on one of the most essential aspects: breathing. In hockey, having optimal lung capacity and being able to recover your heart rate between shifts are fundamental skills. How often do players truly consider the significance of proper breathing and its impact on performance?

Tip #1: Mindful Breathing for Hockey Players

How often do we stop and simply pay attention to our breath? Did you know we breathe about 21,000 times a day without even realizing it? Maybe it’s worth giving it the attention it deserves.

Try taking just 5 minutes during the day—whether sitting still or during a simple activity like walking—and observe the air entering and exiting your nose. Be fully present in every phase of the breath. If a thought arises, let it pass and gently return your focus to your breathing.

This simple mindfulness exercise helps you train presence in the here and now. With consistent practice, you’ll be able to apply it between shifts on the ice, helping you refocus and maintain concentration without being distracted by external events.

Tip #2: Extended Exhalation for Faster Recovery

Another technique to recover between hockey shifts is to lengthen the exhalation phase compared to inhalation. This is conscious, controlled breathing. For example: inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds.

This type of breathing improves tissue oxygenation, blood circulation, lung function, and brings greater vitality and emotional regulation. You’ll recover physically and mentally in a short time. Try it first during dry training or after a run. Over time, you’ll be able to do it even during games, when the pace is intense and focus is challenged.

Tip #3: Continuous Breathing for Power and Focus

Many players believe holding their breath provides more explosiveness during skating or shooting. Wrong! The secret is creating continuity between breaths—between inhalation and exhalation.

Try applying this during play or training: inhale to prepare your shot, and exhale as you execute it. Energy shouldn’t be blocked—it should be released. Consistently applying this technique will improve performance and mental clarity. Proven benefits include better focus, control, and efficient energy use.

Yoga Breathing: A Practical Introduction

As mentioned earlier, this article is just an introduction. There are countless breathing techniques to apply based on your personality and needs. Every certified yoga instructor can guide and share these techniques with you.

Well-being shouldn’t be forced. It’s essential that anyone who chooses to embrace yoga and breathing exercises does so freely and consciously, at their own pace.

Yoga is for Everyone – Including Hockey Players

Yoga is for everyone—even if not everyone is ready to dive into this world. Gradually, it places you in front of a mirror where you’ll see your raw, unfiltered self. Growth and self-improvement often begin by observing yourself and truly accepting who you are. It’s a journey that only needs a beginning.

Getting Started with Yoga for Hockey

If you wish, we can guide you through this ancient discipline with short tips, practical techniques, and small sequences to get a first taste. Improving as a person and as a hockey player isn’t something to ponder—it’s something to act on immediately. The benefits go beyond imagination, including increased focus, flexibility, and mental clarity.

ABShockey – Our Mantra: Constant Improvement

At ABShockey, constant improvement is our mantra. Our products and services are designed to support athletes of all levels, recognizing that everyone has unique needs and timing. Every day, we strive to better meet the requirements of each player, whether it’s through our custom hockey sticks or our high-end hockey gloves.

Just like yoga, development is a process. It’s about consistent progress, both on the ice and off.

Conclusion: How Yoga Can Transform Your Hockey Game

Yoga isn’t mysticism—it’s a practical way to build mental strength, physical recovery, and performance in hockey. By incorporating breathing exercises, mindfulness, and body awareness, you can improve your game, focus, and overall well-being. Start small, stay consistent, and you’ll notice a significant difference on and off the ice.

With appreciation,
The ABShockey TEAM!