Alexia Putellas in Soccer Gear is a “Boxer For a Day”

Spanish soccer star Alexia Putellas isn’t afraid to try new workouts and take on new challenges when it comes to her fitness. Putellas, 30, shared a video of herself wearing soccer gear, boxing gloves, and a big black jacket, sparring with a friend out on the field. “Alexia Putellas, boxer for a day,” FC Barcelona Femeni captioned the post. Putellas is known for her drive and exceptional fitness both on season and when she’s training off season. Here’s how she stays strong and happy.

1. Two Hours Daily Training

Putellas trains for two hours every day, mixing up a variety of strength exercises using body weight and low-impact equipment. “Your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time. Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass at any age,” says the Mayo Clinic.

2. Vegan Diet

Putellas switched to a plant-based diet after getting injured and found it helpful with her recovery. “The first thing I stopped eating was red meat and I introduced plant-based milk and yogurts,” she told The Beet. “Now, there are a lot of high-quality plant-based protein options on the market and it’s easier to stick to a plant-based diet. The most important for me is to make sure I am eating what my body needs to perform and recover, and that’s why I also have my own nutritionist who helps me every day.”

3. Supplements For Athletes

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Putellas has good advice for any athletes thinking about switching to a vegan diet. “I feel much better. I thought I was not gonna be able to get enough energy and strength from plant-based food but it’s been great since I changed my diet,” she told The Beet. “Feeling lighter, recovering quicker, less inflammation, and full of energy. If you are an athlete you have to be very careful with your diet because every single meal you have is gonna affect your performance and recovery. You want to make sure your body gets all the nutrients needed. Also, supplementation is very important. Vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12.”

4. Constantly Evolving

Putellas is always focused on elevating her game and performance. "Football is a game of mistakes," she told FIFA. "And if you lose, you've made a mistake, sure. And even in winning, surely you have committed some [mistakes], despite the result and that you have won. I always think that there are things to improve and if there are things to improve, then you have to keep working."

5. Advice To Young Athletes

Putellas wants young women to stay focused and strong when following their dreams in the athletic world. “I would tell her to be strong and fight for her passion, that she shouldn’t even think of giving it up, because in the end she would be letting those who tell her not to play win,” she told EL PAÍS. Unfortunately, she is right that there is still a long way to go, even though it has advanced so quickly. But it goes beyond that; it is a matter of education, a matter of culture. That takes many years to change, but we have to do it.”

Boxer Jajaira Gonzalez is working hard to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and she’s clearly going all in, if her social media is any indication. Gonzalez, 27, shared pictures of herself working out on a stationary air bike, wearing a black Nike shirt and purple shorts. One snap shows the athlete flashing the peace sign for the camera. “Earned. Not Given,” she captioned the post (which is also the quote on her shirt). “You got this, bring home the gold!” a fan commented. Here’s what Gonzalez’s approach to health and training looks like.

1. Better Fighter

Gonzalez used the four-year hiatus during COVID to work on herself, inside and out. “I really missed fighting and competing. I feel happiest and most at home in the ring and I was lost without it,” she told Olympics.com. “I returned with an elevated mindset. I used to let a lot of things get to me, instead of letting them motivate me. It made me hungrier, and angry but in a good way where I can implement that into the sport. I’m a different fighter now. I fixed a lot of the mistakes that I used to make even though I was still winning, I’m a lot more technical now. I don’t just rush in and throw punches and look sloppy.”

2. Journaling For Mental Health

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Gonzalez says journaling changed her life. “I always do that and when things get tough, I also get outside and get some fresh air on my face,” she told Olympics.com. “Talking to people like my therapist also helps. I used to think it was kind of weak to do that but it helps a lot because instead of bottling things up and walking around angry or depressed, I get it out of my system. It’s all about controlling the controllables.”

3. Boxing Childhood

Gonzalez started boxing at eight years old, after her father encouraged her to try the sport. “At first I didn’t want to, I thought it was for boys,” she told Uchic. “But I pretty much had no choice so I started going- and I hated it! I would pretend to be sick so I wouldn’t have to go. But then one day a boy asked what I was doing at the gym. He said ‘girls can’t fight.’ It made me mad because I had been there longer than him, so I told my dad about it. He told the boy that I was going to spar him and gave him a couple of weeks to get ready. I beat him up pretty badly, it was no competition for me.”

4. Ready To Fight

Gonzalez is focused on her training in the run up to Paris 2024. “In order to get to Paris, these next few months are big,” she told USA Boxing. “I just have to stay consistent, disciplined and focused with everything I’ve been doing, like my therapy, my journaling, my training and allowing my body to recover as well because that plays a big part. I can’t wait to continue this journey.”

5. Olympic Dreams

Gonzalez is determined to show what she’s capable of this summer. “Only I can beat me, but I can’t mess up this second chance,” she told Olympics.com. “I have a very strong mindset and I’m very confident. I don’t feel like anyone can beat me, and I don’t feel like anyone is on my level. Converting my Youth Olympic Games gold medal into an Olympic gold medal would be a dream come true, and it’s the only thing that’s on my mind. I won’t stop until I get it.”

Australia soccer star Steph Catley is taking a well-earned break from her busy training schedule to enjoy the beautiful sun and sea in Santorini, Greece. Catley, 29, shared highlights from her vacation, including snaps of herself wearing a yellow bikini and she soaked up the sun on a luxury yacht. She also included pictures of herself swimming in the ocean. “A few days to recharge in 🇬🇷😍,” she captioned the post. Catley works incredibly hard to maintain the physique of the Olympian she is—here’s how she does it.

1. Protein-Heavy Diet

Catley enjoys a balanced diet with plenty of protein. “[Breakfast is] 1 piece of almond butter toast, 1 bowl of oats with shredded almonds, honey and mixed berries,” she says. “[Lunch] varies but generally a salad with some sort of meat mixed in or on the side. My favorite combination right now is a chicken salad with spinach, walnuts and pear. [Snack is] a coffee with a small chia pudding bowl, or some fruit… I love different types of pastas, grilled vegetables and potatoes, or stir fries and dishes with brown rice.”

2. Game Day Fuel

Catley’s game-day diet is designed to give her as much energy as possible. “It depends what time the game is. But no matter what I eat in the morning or lunch, around an hour and a half before I play I always eat two slices of multigrain toast with peanut butter and sliced banana on top,” she says. Her favorite indulgence meal is “a huge burrito bowl from Chipotle with lime and salt chips on the side.”

3. Giving 100 Percent

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Catley leads by example when it comes to training and competing. "I always give 100 per cent at training and in everything that I do on and off the field," she says. "I'm not the leader that's going to be screaming and shouting at everyone in the change rooms [when something goes wrong]. On the field, I want people to look at me, and think, ‘Well, if she's giving 100 percent, always, then I have to give 100 percent'."

4. World Cup Training

Catley and her teammates start the day at 7.30am. “We’ve been non-stop for the last four to five weeks now. Training, gym, meetings, the lot,” she said about preparing for the World Cup. “The rest of the day is made up of ice-baths, massage, physio treatment and often media commitments… But the closer we get to the games, you can see the hard work paying off and everything starting to come together, so the hard work has definitely been worth it.”

5. Role Model

Catley was thrilled about taking part in the World Cup not just for herself and her team ,but for future athletes. "It's an opportunity for us, as a team, to inspire young girls and young boys," she said. “I had no [female athletes] to look up to growing up, to aspire to be a footballer, compared to what it’s like now. As a team, we have the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage on home soil, and I think it’s so, so exciting. It could change anything – everything – for football in Australia for young girls and young boys. So to be honest, I wish the World Cup was starting tomorrow. I'm just excited to get going.”

Portland Thorns FC player Sophia Smith is taking a break from her busy training schedule to get a caffeine boost with her favorite person. Smith, 23, shared a picture of herself wearing a black tracksuit and white sneakers, relaxing with her NFL star boyfriend Michael Wilson. “My favorite coffee date 🫶🏽,” she captioned the sweet post. Smith is a force to be reckoned with at a very young age, and she’s only getting better every day. Here’s what this athlete’s health and wellness regimen looks like.

1. She’s a Goal Scorer

Smith knows where her strengths lie in training. “In training, when we do small-side and stuff, I'm always trying new things and trying to be a little crafty and creative and figure out ways to, I don't know, put on a show,” she told Grant Wahl. “But I think it mostly just comes to me in games, and I envision it, and then I just do it. I've always considered myself a goal scorer. That's what I feel like I do best. That's what I feel like I can contribute to the teams that I'm on.”

2. Game Day Routine

Smith’s daily routine is focused on getting as much rest as possible. “[I] sleep in as late as possible, make my latte at home and drink it on my couch while I read my book for a while,” she told Portland Timbers. “Then I go to or make breakfast at home [depending if I have family in town or not] and go on a little walk [sometimes the walk just happens to be in Target] and then just relax until the game!”

3. Confident With Her Team

Smith genuinely loves playing with the Thorns. “Our coaching staff and the Thorns as a program allows people to be special and to be themselves, and figuring out a way to be able to do that, as well as helping my team in any way that I can,” she told Grant Wahl. “I think it's just gone really well. I think that's allowed me to be more confident, regardless of my age, regardless of how many years I've had in the league. I feel like I've found my place. And I'm just having fun. I think that's the biggest thing.”

4. Representing Women of Color

Smith is proud to represent women of color on the pitch. “Not everyone has the same opportunities [that I did],” she told ELLE. “I hope that can change, because there’s so much undiscovered talent we don’t see. I was honestly one of two, maybe three people of color on all of my club teams. Most girls had long, straight hair. I always felt like my hair was too crazy or too wild… You don’t have to have your hair a certain way. It doesn’t mean anything about who you are or how you’ll play.”

5. Family Support

Smith relies on her parents to keep her grounded. “If I look too far forward, it will just cause me anxiety,” she told ELLE. “The best thing for my mental health is to be in the moment right now, and to take each day as it is. I feel ready… [My dad will] remind me to just be myself. He’ll say that I don’t have to do anything I’ve never done before—that I just need to go do what I do, and be Soph.”

Lauren Hemp is one of the UK’s soccer, or football, stars. She plays for the Lionesses. Hemp recently enjoyed a spar trip while on break from football. She shared a photo on Instagram of herself in an outdoor pool. Hemp captioned the post, “Catching some sun before the international break.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Lauren Hemp stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Plays Soccer

Playing soccer, naturally, is Hemp’s main way of staying fit. Soccer is a great way to stay in shape. Better Health states, “Soccer is a good sport for maintaining health, fitness, strength and endurance. The health benefits include that it: Increases aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health. Lowers body fat and improves muscle tone. Builds strength, flexibility and endurance. Increases muscle and bone strength. Improves health due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting.”

2. She Handles Pressure Well

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Hemp opened up about how she handles pressure to The Guardian. She says that being proud of herself and her accomplishments have helped her from putting too much pressure on herself. “For me, I’m my biggest critic. I put so much pressure on myself that I don’t really feel it from the outside. But I sometimes look back and realise how far I’ve come and that I’m still so young and think I should not put as much pressure on myself as I do. It’s finding that balance in making sure I do perform at my best but that I do enjoy the journey as well because I think when I enjoy it you get the best out of me.”

3. She Learns From Her Coach

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In her The Guardian interview, Hemp sung the praises of coach Sarina Wiegman, and shared what she’s learned from her. “For me, she’s always told me to have freedom, express myself, and I think that’s what I’ve needed. You’ve seen from the results that we are playing very well under Sarina. Hopefully that will continue into the Euros. She’s been on the winning side, so we’ve got so much trust and confidence in her. She’s telling us what we need to know to ensure that, come the Euros, we’re the best.”

4. She Pushes Herself

In her interview with The Guardian, Hemp shared what aspects of her game she wants to improve. “One of the main things is my decision-making,” she says. “Whether cutting on the inside, going on the outside, shooting, crossing, things like that – driving at a player. When you get the ball and everyone comes towards you it’s all about that split-second decision and what you’re going to do on the ball. With the decision-making then comes becoming more consistent with goals and assists. That’ll show in my stats. But also, my right foot, at the moment I think I just use that to stand on, so that’s another one of the many things I’d like to improve.”

5. She Loves Omelettes

In another interview with The Guardian, Hemp shared some of her favorite foods. “I like an omelette but I’m not great at making them, so when I was away with England I’d always ask the chef. He said it’s all in the pan, so I now have a specific pan that doesn’t get used for anything else.”