Hockey is a great game but it does some strange things to your body. Playing a crouched-over running game does take its toll over the years – just listen to the groans and gripes in the average vets changing room.
I have always paid heed to all the regulation warm-up and warm-down stretches but always felt I should be doing something more to avoid joining the sigh-when-sitting-down-and-groan-when-getting-up crew.
Yoga has crossed my mind a few times and I have even made the odd short-lived start at it – mainly from books or articles, so when I came across this new DVD ‘Roxy’s Yoga Conditioning’ I thought it would be a chance to try again.
I have to confess I didn’t know who Roxy Shahidi was, not being an Emmerdale fan, so I definitely wasn’t starstruck. But what I found was a well-produced, unobtrusive DVD with no chatter, just nice clear instructions.
It is tough! The three workouts – core, lower body and full body – are all going to be testing, but not out-of-reach for the averagely fit hockey player. The DVD is also a bit less frantic than some, giving you time to learn the movements correctly.
After a month of near daily sessions my flexibility is definitely improving and I am noticing it on the field in things like low slap-hits. I am also far less sore the day after games. The 45-minute sessions are a substantial time commitment but yoga fits in well on recovery days.
Expect to pay: £12
