How to Train During Holiday Breaks (Without Losing Your Edge)

Holiday breaks are a time for family, rest, and recharging — but for hockey players, long breaks can also create setbacks. Skills fade. Conditioning drops. Habits slip. And when the season picks back up, many players feel rusty, slow, or behind their teammates.

But here’s the truth:

You don’t lose your edge during the break — you lose it when you stop doing the little things.

If you approach the holidays with a plan, you can stay sharp, maintain momentum, and even come back better than before.

Here’s how.

 

1. Keep Your Routine (Even If It’s Shorter)

You don’t need full two-hour training sessions to stay in game shape.

During the holidays, the goal is consistency, not intensity.
Aim for 20–30 minutes of movement each day:

 

• • Quick strength circuits

• • Mobility work

• • Stickhandling sessions

• • Conditioning sprints outside

• • Core + balance work

• • Light shooting reps (if space allows)

The enemy of progress is doing nothing.
Short, focused work beats long breaks every time.

 

2. Keep the Hockey Touches Alive

Hockey is a skill sport. If you don’t touch the puck, you lose feel.
If you don’t move your feet, your first step slows down.

Here are simple holiday-friendly ideas:

 

• • Stickhandle during TV commercials

• • Use a shooting pad in the garage

• • Work on quick-release shots

• • Do edgework or footwork in shoes

• • Do “ankle mobility + knee flexion” drills daily

These touches don’t need to be fancy — they just need to be consistent.

3. Prioritize Recovery (This Is Your Advantage)

Many players overtrain during the season.
Holiday breaks are the perfect time to:

 

• • Reduce inflammation

• • Improve mobility

• • Reset the nervous system

• • Catch up on sleep

Think of recovery as a skill.
Players who use breaks wisely come back faster, looser, and with fewer nagging pains.

Make sure to include:

 

• • Daily mobility flows

• • Light stretching

• • Hydration + quality food

• • Real sleep (8–10 hours)

This is how you show up in January feeling like a new player.

 

4. Eat Like an Athlete — Even During the Holidays

You don’t need to skip holiday meals or avoid treats.
Just keep the foundation strong:

 

• • Prioritize protein at every meal

• • Drink water before every snack

• • Eat fruits + veggies with big meals

• • Avoid going long periods without eating

• • Keep sugar “occasional,” not constant

Remember:

Fueling is training.
If you eat well over the break, you’ll maintain strength and energy far better than players who don’t.

 

5. Have a “Non-Negotiable” Daily Habit

Pick one habit you refuse to skip during the entire holiday break.

Examples:

 

• • 100 stickhandles

• • 10 minutes of mobility

• • 50 pushups

• • 10 minutes of shooting

• • 5 speed bursts outdoors

• • 5 minutes of visualization

This keeps your identity as a player intact.

When the break ends, you won’t be “starting over.”
You’ll already be in motion.

 

6. Get Outside and Move

You don’t need a gym or a rink to maintain conditioning.

Use what’s around you:

 

• • Driveway sprints

• • Hill runs

• • Outdoor circuits

• • Resistance band workouts

• • Shovel snow (it counts!)

• • Family hikes

The goal is to keep the engine running.

You don’t need perfect conditions — just effort.

 

7. Start the New Year Ahead of Everyone Else

Most players fall off during the holidays.
They lose conditioning, lose structure, and lose confidence.

But players who stay disciplined — even with short, simple sessions — return in January with:

 

• • Better conditioning

• • Faster first steps

• • Sharper hands

• • More confidence

• • Stronger habits

These players don’t just “come back ready.”

They come back ahead.