Move well. That’s the advice of Joe Lorincz, the strength and conditioning coach for the three-time Stanley Cup winning New Jersey Devils, sharing his views on the best way to get your body into its best shape. Joe, who develops the off-ice workout, nutritional education, and rehabilitation programs for injured players, says that if you can’t move well, you can’t train well, and he builds his training programs for the Devils with that in mind.

How does that translate into building a conditioning program for yourself? Of primary importance, Joe states, are big, general movement patterns. Once you can perform those correctly and fluidly, you can add load and speed to your workouts.

His exercise recommendations? Concentrate on three, simple exercises each workout, plus your core. The most important thing is consistency. To maintain your body’s condition, then to improve your body’s condition over time, Joe reminds us, you must commit to your program: it’s imperative to actually come in and do the work. (How many of us are guilty of saying, oh, I meant to work out, but I had to (insert poor excuse of your choice) instead…?)

That commitment is important. What’s also important, he says, is allowing yourself to be human. You are striving for progress, not perfection. With that attitude, every small step is a success.

Get more insight from Joe Lorincz, including nutrition and exercise tips, in Moving Well: Part 2.