Maria Sharapova on the tennis court is a force to be dealt with. By the age of 18 the celebrity athlete was ranked number one
Maria Sharapova on the tennis court is a force to be dealt with. By the age of 18 the celebrity athlete was ranked number one — worldwide — in tennis, and in her long and successful career went on to win five Grand Slam titles. While she is retired from the sport, Sharapova continues to put her fitness skills to use with her workout and rehabilitation routine at home.
Tennis needs intense focus and stamina as anyone who has ever played it knows. Sharapova is a big fan of boxing off the court, using similar skills. "I began doing a lot of one-on-one boxing at the beach," Sharapova says. "It's such a fantastic fitness exercise with a lot of unpredictable movements and I enjoy the concentration it takes." Just like the tennis ball might fly to your left, right or forward (or beyond) for you to return, a punch thrown in boxing can come from a variety of sides, so lightning-quick muscle reaction is key — and it's something Sharapova likes to concentrate on.
Sharapova normally likes to sharpen her jab-cross-hooks three days a week during a boxing workout. But as she spreads out her yoga mat, she throws in some low-impact practice. "That's my new regimen: usually boxing three days a week, with a yoga flow workout mixed in between for off-day rehabilitation," she says. "I strive to blend into a yoga rhythm and focus on stretching." Sharapova gets the double advantages of successful relaxation and additional flexibility with the muscle-lengthening poses performed in a vinyasa rhythm (which also helps her while she has her boxing gloves on).
Sharapova is diligent about her recovery regimen to keep her body healthy, which involves more than a few flows of yoga. "I'm going to use an infrared sauna a few days a week outside of yoga too. I noticed that keeping new is such a good way to, "she says. And, as of last week, Sharapova signed on to be a member of the Therabody Advisory Board, which means she'll collaborate with the health treatment tech brand — known for its percussive massage therapy tool, the Theragun — on more ways it can be used for the wellness routines at home for people. "I spend about 10 to 15 minutes using my Theragun before and after every workout, and just about every evening, staying loose," Sharapova says.
Anything the tennis star learned about her (very) active years? Because there are so many workouts that you can choose to sweat through, sticking to a fixed routine is good. "It's great to throw in a new workout every now and then, but sticking to a routine is how you'll ultimately start to see your strength improving," Sharapova says. Take it from an all-star Olympic slash-tennis medalist.
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