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Martina's Book

Martina Navratilova's Book:
"Shape Your Self"

I recently took up tennis again after many years playing other sports. Playing competitively again has really inspired me to want to look and feel better all around. Tennis is certainly a sport you can play into your later years, some women at our club are well into their 80's and 90's and they wouldn't dream of just sitting on the sidelines anymore then I would. So when I saw that tennis great, Martina Navratilova had written a fitness book, I just had to check it out.

I've always connected with Martina as a tennis champion and loved watching her play. Plus I saw her recently in an interview talking about the fact that she has rescued 19 dogs which all live with her in her house in Colorado. Some of the dogs don't like each other and so they have to live separately in various parts of her house. No how cool is that! Anyway, now that she is well past 50 she is even more of an inspiration to me. She looks great and has more stamina and fitness then some younger players you see on the courts today. That is one reason I bought her book, I wanted to see what she was doing and why it is working for an older athlete like herself.

There are no surprizes and no "secrets" revealed like some books tout, she just writes what she thinks and how she trains and eats, very straight forward and easy to follow. Her life story and motivating words are also a driving force throughout the book. She instills a hard work ethic that too many people try to ignore. Getting and staying in shape is work but it also can become your healthy lifestyle, which is what I liked most about her book. She lives and breathes her fitness and health as part of her everyday life, as we all should do. In the long run, it'll become easier because you'll feel better, look better and be healthier.

She also promotes "functional fitness" as a means to keep in shape which includes cardiovascular and strength training so your body can handle a wide range of physical challenges. Functional exercises, like "Pilates" improve your stamina and balance as well as posture and also strengthens your core muscles which is key to keeping fit as you get older. As someone who used to do heavy weight training, I can appreciate now only using more basic tools such as the stability ball, balance board and exercise bands.

She also has a no nonsense approach to nutrition. Eating whole foods and plant-based foods and juicing are her main diet choices. She outlines some great recipes and vegetarian proteins, emphasizing the fact that "protein is important, but it isn't as huge a staple as most athletes make it out to be." She says protein should complement a meal that is plant-based with fresh veggies, whole grains and fruit.

All in all, I really enjoyed her book.

Shape Your Self: My 6-Step Diet and Fitness Plan to Achieve the Best Shape of Your Life

Promotional Copy about her book

Known for her superb conditioning, Martina Navratilova is a marvel of fitness. She easily outruns many women who are half her age, still plays tennis competitively, and engages in all the other sports she loves: basketball, hockey, skiing, and more. Everywhere she goes, people ask her: Why can you still move the way you do? How do you stay in such good shape? What's your secret? In The Shape of Your Life, this amazing athlete shares through personal anecdotes the simple strategies, tips, and small lifestyle changes that will enable anyone to tune up their body, mind, and spirit.

In her 6-step program readers discover: tips on achieving the focus and mental ability of star athletes, advice on creating an environment-emotionally and physically, that supports readers, health and personal goals, a healthy food plan with delicious recipes-emphasizing natural foods, including raw foods and juices-that help the body release toxins, drop extra pounds, and feel more vibrant and youthful, fun, unique, cutting-edge exercises that can be done anywhere and will make readers appreciate the power, strength, and beauty of the body, novel ways to recharge and energize mind and body.

Shape Your Self: My 6-Step Diet and Fitness Plan to Achieve the Best Shape of Your Life

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