How do you motivate yourself to stay in hockey shape?

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So, do you work out in addition to playing hockey? Does it help your game? And on those rainy mornings when you've planned to go running, but really just want to stay in bed -- how do you make yourself work out? I'm always always ALWAYS happy once I get back from a workout, but getting myself out of bed is sometimes a problem.

Sometimes I think of athletes I admire and I remember how serious they are about their work ethic -- and how that translates into superb athleticism. And that's what gets me off my butt.

What do you do?

-- Ann (ann@sporto.org), January 09, 2000

Answers

I have two dogs and a brother. When I was in high school my brother and I used to play all of the same sports (probably because when we were younger our parents used to put us into the same sports programs - it was cheaper that way) and we developed a really healthy rivalry, which still exists today. Now that he and I live in separate cities, I have two dogs, who regardless of the weather, need to go for their run every day. And I'm their guy. So, you should either have a sibling who is always challenging you to be a little better than you are, or develop a workout relationship with someone who depends on you to be there...

-- Michael (meaford@hotmail.com), January 11, 2000.

I have some video footage of me playing a while ago with my team. Everytime I contemplate staying in instead of going to the gym or training of any kind I put on the video, see how damn awful I am and that makes me think "I wanna be so much better than that" and I know that unless I train more I won't get better. So that gets me off my ass and down to the gym.

Kyle #9 www.hyenas.co.uk

-- Kyle J Alexander (kyle@kjalexander.freeserve.co.uk), March 28, 2002.


That's easy... When I first started playing again, I was out of shape, fat, slow, and useless. I got pushed around, knocked down, and made fun of. I just wasn't having fun. It's bad enough that I'm a five foot seven inch defenceman, but when I got abused by players I knew I was better than, I became inspired. Not to mention, I have a bit of a "Napoleon complex", and as you have probably figured out by some of my other replies, a slight ego, and a big mouth. Now... I'm still 5'7", but I wiegh 190lbs (as compaired to the 285lbs I wieghed when I started again), definately not fat, and I'm in the best shape of my life. Some of the faster forwards can get around me, but not for the previous reasons, and no one gets through me. I want to keep it this way, that's why I work out 3 times a week, and skate at least twice a week (outside of games played). I take my days off, and cheat my diet from time to time, but I never said I was perfect.

-- dj:EKG (ekg13@mail.com), December 10, 2002.

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