Yoga is one of the most underrated training tools for hockey players. It directly supports the skills and physical qualities the sport demands—mobility, balance, stability, recovery, and mental focus. Here are the main benefits:
1. Improved Flexibility & Mobility
Hockey requires long strides, deep knee bends, hip rotation, and strong posture. Yoga helps by:
- Increasing hip flexibility for longer, more efficient strides
- Improving ankle mobility for better edge work
- Opening tight hip flexors and quads caused by skating posture
- Supporting a deeper, stronger skating stance
Result: more powerful skating and less wear-and-tear on the body.
2. Better Balance & Stability
Many yoga poses train single-leg balance and core engagement—the exact qualities needed for:
- Battling along the boards
- Staying strong on your edges
- Shooting with proper weight transfer
- Recovering quickly from bumps or checks
Result: stronger, more stable skating and puck control.
3. Increased Core Strength
Yoga builds the deep core muscles that traditional ab workouts often miss.
This helps with:
- Stronger shots and passes
- Better posture while skating
- Less lower-back strain
- More stability in contact situations
4. Reduced Injury Risk
Hockey creates tons of repetitive stress—especially in the hips, groin, lower back, and shoulders. Yoga helps prevent:
- Groin strains
- Hip impingement
- Lower back tightness
- Shoulder and neck issues from shooting or collisions
By balancing tight and weak muscle groups, players become more resilient.
5. Faster Recovery
Yoga promotes blood flow, reduces muscle soreness, and helps the body reset after practices or long tournaments.
Deep stretching + breathing work = improved recovery.
Great for: between-game resets, post-practice cooldowns.
6. Better Breathing & Endurance
Yoga emphasizes controlled breathing under physical stress. Hockey players benefit by:
- Maintaining calm during long shifts
- Improving oxygen efficiency
- Staying composed late in games
- Managing nerves in high-pressure moments
7. Mental Focus & Confidence
Hockey is fast and chaotic. Yoga helps players learn to:
- Stay focused on the next play
- Manage emotions after turnovers or penalties
- Build confidence through controlled movement
- Develop better on-ice awareness
Even 5–10 minutes of mindful breathing can help before games.
8. Overall Athletic Longevity
Players who practice yoga consistently stay healthier and perform better deep into the season.
It keeps the body balanced—counteracting the constant forward-leaning, high-intensity demands of hockey.
At the New England Wolves (www.ne-wolveshockey.com) we do yoga once a week during the season, and have every year since the 2018-19 campaign. This has helped us tremendously with flexibility and core strength, and has significantly reduced pull and tear type injuries, resulting in healthier athletes.
By Andrew Trimble
Andrew is the GM/ Co- Owner of the New England Wolves.
To purchase Andrew’s book, The Hockey Planner, follow this link here – The Hockey Planner: A Year by Year Plan to Assist You on Your Hockey Coaching Journey: From Learn to Play to Junior Hockey: Trimble, Andrew: 9781963743388: Amazon.com: Books
