Getting fit with Russ Wrigley

HOCKEY is a team game consisting of brief bursts of high intense exercise (the sprint) in between periods of lower intensity recovery (walking or jogging). The game has two 35 minute halves, with a five to 10 minute break.

Fitness Demands -- a reasonable level of fitness, stamina (the ability to keep going), speed and good aerobic fitness. A lot of the work in hockey is done 'off the ball' -- marking, getting into position, chasing.

On average, you can expect to cover 5-8km in a full game, working at about 78 per cent of your maximum aerobic capacity, which is quite tough.

You would probably burn about 9017 calories per minute during a game, about 1,240 kilocalories in one game.

Which muscles do you use most?

As a running sport, hockey primarily uses the muscles in the front and back of the thigh and the calves.

The shoulder muscles are probably the next most used as they initiate the swing and carry the stick while you are running.

The biceps and triceps at the front and back of the upper arm do a certain amount of work in controlling the ball, particularly while you are dribbling.

The muscles and joints of the lower back come under a lot of stress and strain in hockey.

This is because the bent over position when dribbling the ball is not the most natural or comfortable positions to run in.

You can avoid unnecessary back strain by incorporating back strengthening the flexibility exercises into your training programme.

Therefore overall, hockey is a sport that demands all round fitness and strength, particularly aerobic fitness.