I'm following Maria Sharapova religiously right now for the US Open, so I was thrilled to see her on the cover of Shape.
The debate's still up on whether or not we're loving Maria's bright red tennis dress, but here's what she had to say on dieting and working out:
Banish the word “diet” from your vocabulary: To say Maria enjoys eating is like saying she’s a pretty good tennis player. “Nothing makes me happier than having an amazing meal,” she says. “But I never diet because I need to be strong.” Maria eats three big meals a day, always making sure to have a balance of both carbs and proteins, and she snacks on fresh fruit along with a slice of ham or some other protein. And she never denies herself a sweet if she wants it. “The moment someone says I can’t have something, forget it. I want it even more,” she says. “If I crave a cookie, I eat it.”
Shake up your exercise routine: Playing tennis nearly every day can get boring, so Maria makes it a point to switch up her activities whenever she can. “I bike and do yoga. But my new favorite thing is a salsa dance class called Video-sync,” she says. The program, developed by J. Marcos at Sports Club/LA in Miami, combines dance and fitness with a focus on core work to build strong abs. The classes aren’t highly choreographed, so Maria can let loose without stressing about getting the steps right. “I love it,” she says. “It’s so energetic and fun!”
And does Maria ever give her body an exercise break? To find out, just read more
Know when to give your body a break: “I’m usually go-go-go, but when I hit the wall, that’s it — I’m done,” says Maria. Earlier this year, she injured her shoulder, which forced her to take 10 weeks off from competing. “I try to be smart about it,” she says.
“If my body is tired or injured, I’ll let it rest.” Her favorite ways to de-stress include going to spas (she loves massages) and relaxing on the beach. Shopping also helps her unwind: “I love to shop for clothes and jewelry, especially vintage stuff,” she says.
There is a lot more in the interview, so check out the September 2007 issue of Shape on newsstands now.
Playtex
Gambini
Rochas
I luv when she says “The moment someone says I can’t have something, forget it. I want it even more,”... “If I crave a cookie, I eat it.”
Shes kick a**!
1I want to try that class, I wonder if it's available on DVD somehow?
2I read that article in Shape. I love it when fitness magazines use athletes for the front covers! It's always more about being strong, fueling their bodies and being fit - not a teeny tiny starlet saying "I eat ice cream every day, I swear" I get sooooo tired of that.
And they also have a workout in the magazine that Maria's trainer made up for her. It's pretty cool. I love that Shape started including the workouts of the celebs they cover.
3Maria is definitely a role model I wish came out of more young girls mouth. Great tips too.
4Maria kicks ass! Female athletes are great role models for girls and women of all ages. Funny, I don't think that female athletes have NEAR the number of scandals that male athletes do (Michael Vick, I'm looking at you ...)
5i second that allisonblue, girls should look up to them instead of the "teeny tiny starlet saying "I eat ice cream every day, I swear" "
6I don't like her AT ALL, but I admire her fitness.
7She lost her match today, her game is getting kind of shaky. Perhaps all the attention is getting to her. She is fit, but I think she will go down the same path that Kournikova went down.
8i love her dress in those photos!
9Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.