We’ve all been in that moment when we take a look in the mirror and think we could do with losing a few extra pounds. Although it may seem like an impossible task, many top athletes manage just fine – so what is their secret?
Working day to day as a personal trainer, boxing champion Marija Malencia is a two-time K-1 world and European champion and as well as the Croatian National Champion in Boxing. Hoping to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Marija knows how important it is to maintain a steady healthy weight. So today, Marija is revealing 5 of her top tips for losing fat.
- Long distance running – don’t worry – Marija isn’t recommending a marathon but just five, 5km runs a week. The key to decreasing body fat is to burn calories and by lengthening your workout you will do just that. Every five minutes of running at a 10-minute-per-mile pace burns about 45 calories. Long distance running builds up your stamina and helps strengthen your muscles.
- Sweat it out – high-intensity drills that work up a sweat are great for fat loss
and Marija recommends boxing drills, heavy bags, pads and some sparring. These types of workouts have
been shown to burn more calories than traditional workouts because they burn more body fat in less time.
High-intensity workouts tend to burn anywhere from 6-15 percent more calories compared to other workouts,
thanks to the calories you burn after you exercise. - More training – it goes without saying that the more training you do the more fat you will burn. Marija
recommends setting out an exercise plan to keep you on track and to make sure you get into a routine of
doing workouts regularly. It may be tricky getting into the habit at first, but it gets much easier when you see
the scales decrease! - Healthy diet – it’s important to make sure what we put into our bodies is nutritious to help maximise fat loss. Marija recommends lowering your carb intake to reduce fat and sugar and cutting out salt completely to lower water weight. Marija also recommends plenty of vitamin and mineral-rich vegetables like broccoli, sweet potato and spinach, as well as lots of protein for muscle development.
- Healthy fats – adults get 20 – 30% of calories from fats but it’s important to eat healthy ones to boost fat burning while providing your body and brain with quick energy and reducing the risk of a high cholesterol and heart disease. Marija suggests coconut oil and avocado because the help to boost your metabolism which in turn allows you to continue to burn more fat when resting.