Irene Aldana is working up a sweat – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the MMA fighter shows off her amazingly fit figure in a cropped t-shirt and leggings while at the gym. “Someday I will eclipse JLo,” she captioned the Instagram video. How does the athlete approach diet and fitness? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
1. Hardcore Routine
Irene keeps herself prepared for battle. When she is in the “best shape” of her life, she is “training two, three times a day,” her diet is “on point,” and she does everything she can to be healthy. “My nutritionists were sending me a very healthy and measured diet,” she told MMA Junkie.
2. Strength Training
Irene relies on strength training to keep herself fit. Her go-to exercises include battle ropes, sled pushes and pulls, pull ups, cables, and lots of arm work with heavy weights. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:
- Develop strong bones
- Manage your weight
- Enhance your quality of life
- Manage chronic conditions
- Sharpen your thinking skills
3. Cycling
When she is trying to drop weight, Irene will focus more on cardio. One of her go-to workouts is the air bike. The Cleveland Clinic explains that biking, a low-impact aerobic exercise, is great for building muscle, improving strength and flexibility, and improving balance. It can also boost mental health and help other health conditions, including arthritis.
4. Reading
Reading is one of Irene’s go-to destressing habits. One Harvard study published in Social Science & Medicine found that people who read books regularly had a 20% lower risk of dying over the next 12 years compared with people who weren't readers or who read periodicals.
5. Squats
In her latest workout video, Irene does some squats. According to Kendra Gamble of HIT Fitness, squats offer a “multitude of benefits.” Doing them helps “increase strength, size and power of quads (front part of legs), glutes (butt), hamstrings (back of legs), calves, adductors (inner thighs), tendons and ligaments, and lowers your chances of knee and ankle injuries,” she tells The Body Network.