Adil Dolani
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Written By: Adil Dolani | Updated : May 18, 2014 10:08 AM IST
Whenever we think of the fittest women in sports we automatically think of people like Maria Sharapova or Serena Williams but they are not the only ones. Here are, in our opinion, the 10 fittest women in sports (and we sincerely apologise if we've missed anyone):
1) Maria Sharapova (Russia, Tennis)
The most well-known woman tennis star in the world, this leggie lass supports herself with a simple yet rich diet consisting of high protein, low carb and low fat food items. Her diet's rich in antioxidants as well. In addition to working out in gym, she also does core strengthening exercises, yoga, salsa, biking, etc. Recovery through rest is as important as exercises are. Maria works out six days in a week and relaxes her body through body massages and with visits to the spa at least once in a month. She also meditates for five minutes in a day to purge stress. While she could certainly improve her Grand Slam count, there's nothing wrong with her fitness regime.
2) Saina Nehwal (India, Badminton)
The Indian badminton sensation makes it to our list. Her weekly routine includes 2-4 sessions of strength training, 3-6 sessions for endurance and 6-8 sessions for agility, followed by moderate running as part of endurance training. Her strength training routine includes dumbbell pullovers, rowing exercises, military press for shoulders, heel raises for calf muscles and lat pull downs, amongst others. With this dedication, Saina Nehwal achieved the tag of the first Indian to win a medal in Badminton at the Olympics and we pray that this continues for years and years to come.
3) Alex Morgan (USA, Soccer)
Alex Morgan is a dynamic forward and Olympic gold medalist who was one of the youngest members of the U.S. women's national team and 2012's U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. Her diet includes a healthy breakfast, a lean lunch with greens and protein and also snacks consisting of fruits and nuts throughout the day. She relies on nuts for her protein and also loves carrots with hummus.
4) MC Mary Kom (India,Boxing)
'Work hard, train hard' is Mary Kom's mantra to stay fit and fighting. Her fitness regime includes stretching, skipping and floor exercises before she moves on to shadow boxing, the punching bag and the speed bag. MC Mary Kom is a five-time World Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships, truly one of the greatest Indians to play the sport. Read more about Mary Kom's fitness regime
5) Serena Williams (USA,Tennis)
Arguably one of the greatest women to play the game, Serena Williams shows no signs of slowing down. The younger Williams sister combines a super tough steel body with a relaxed Zen-like mind. One of the most powerful women on the circuit, she stays fit by eating lots of veggies like spinach and cucumbers, and actually goes easy on the meat. Running's the major component of her fitness regime and considering she has 17 Grand Slam titles, it's hard to argue with its efficacy.
6) Kaya Turski (Canada,Freestyle Skier)
The most decorated woman in ski slope style history, she earned the first women's ski slopestyle four-peat in X Games history in 2013 in Tignes, France. Just five months after undergoing knee surgery , she won again at X Games Aspen 2014 and is constantly pushing her sport to the next level.
7) Natalie Coughlin (US,Swimming)
A twelve-time Olympic medallist, in 2002, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstroke (long course) in under a minute. She spends about 50 percent of her time in the pool and 50 percent doing pilates, yoga, weights or running. Natalie follows a nutritionally-dense plant-based diet and otherwise she generally opts for lean proteins like fish or chicken.
8) Jessica Ennis-Hill (UK, Track and field)
She is a British track and field athlete, who specialises in multi-event disciplines and 100 meters hurdles and the credit for this goes to her regular commitment to running, weights and circuit training in the gym, as well as daily power naps, massage and physio sessions.
9) Laia Sanz (Spain, Motorcycle Trial)
The 28-year-old Trials specialist from Catalonia, Spain, has won 13 Trials World Championships, 10 European Trials titles and has led her Spanish team to five Team Trials world titles. Last May, she raced to X Games Women's Enduro X gold in front of her home crowd at X Games Barcelona, then immediately flew to Portugal to capture the women's Endurocross World Championship the very next day. Whoa! Such heavy schedules are definitely a result of proper fitness regimes and diet control.
10) Jhulan Goswami (India,Cricket)
Being awarded an Arjuna award, a Padma Shri and being the fastest women bowler in cricket takes a lot of hard work and a strict diet. Her gym schedule includes upper body exercises such as push-ups, chest presses, rows, workouts on balance boards and core strengthening moves like planks.
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