Boxer Avril Mathie Shares Swimsuit Photo Before Ebanie Bridges Fight

In addition to starring on the hit reality series Love Island, AJ Bunker is also a fighter. She recently returned to the ring and documented her process on Instagram. In a recent post, Bunker shared photos from the event. In some of them, she wore a blue and white swimsuit. Bunker captioned the post, “Fight week complete.”How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways AJ Bunker stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Rides Quad Bikes

Bunker likes to do a lot of outdoor activities to stay in shape. She shares a bunch of photos of herself doing so on Instagram. One thing Bunker likes to do is ride quad bikes. She posted this photo of herself going for a ride in the Marrakech desert. Bunker captioned the post, “Had the best day ending 2019 quad biking around the Moroccan desert.”

2. She Swims

Another outdoor activity Bunker likes to do is go swimming. She shares a bunch of posts on Instagram of herself at the beach or the pool. Bunker posted these photos of herself and her friends enjoying time at the beach in Portugal. She captioned the post, “Missing the Portuguese sun and these gorgeous girls! 🥰💖Also happy Saturday angels. What’s everyone’s plans for the weekend!”

3. She Weight Trains

While prepping for her fights, Bunker shared her training process on Instagram. One thing she likes to do is weight train. Bunker appeared in this gym video Instagram collaboration with MF Daxn Series. In it, she is seen doing bicep curls, dual pulley rows, and deadlifts, among other things. According to The Mayo Clinic, “Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age.”

4. She Boxes

Being a boxer is naturally one of the ways Bunker stays in shape. Boxing has a lot of benefits. Harvard Health states, “Fitness boxing is also a great aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise gets your heart pumping and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can strengthen bones and muscles, burn more calories, and lift mood. Aerobics can also boost your endurance, which helps you climb a flight of stairs or walk farther. Plus, aerobic exercise is associated with improvement in certain brain functions.”

5. She Gets Sunshine

Sunshine offers a multitude of health benefits, both physically and mentally. Exposure to sunlight boosts the body's production of vitamin D, essential for bone health, immune system function, and reducing inflammation. It also helps regulate the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, improving sleep quality and mood. Sunlight can enhance mood by increasing serotonin levels, reducing the risk of seasonal affective disorder. It encourages outdoor activity, promoting physical fitness and reducing sedentary behavior. Furthermore, natural sunlight can improve vision health, reduce stress, and even lower blood pressure. Overall, moderate sun exposure, when combined with protective measures, can greatly enhance well-being.

Costa Rican professional boxing champion Hanna Gabriels is clearly a lover as well as a fighter. Gabriels, 40, shared adorable pictures of herself wearing an orange bikini while cuddling four little French Bulldog puppies outside, against a background of lush greenery. “4 months of 4 babies❤️,” she captioned the post. “Adorable!” a fan commented. Gabriels has wanted to be a champion since she was very young—here’s how she’s achieved those goals.

1. Boxing For Weight Loss

Gabriels started boxing as a method of weight loss. “Since I was a little kid, I dreamed about becoming an elite athlete,” she says. “I wanted to be a world champion or Olympic champion. I was actually in track-and-field, and the main reason why I got into boxing was to lose weight but then boxing opened the door to my childhood dream. My dad and mom were very inclined in teaching us to be disciplined, to have structure in our lives, and they taught us that we can achieve anything that we want just by becoming a better version of ourselves. I have six siblings and many nephews and nieces. Overall I have an amazing family!”

2. Giving Back To the Community

Gabriels makes time in her schedule to contribute to her community. “I’m a 24/7 kind of girl. I do boxing full-time but I am also committed to teaching boxing to the community, so I do that in the morning after dropping my daughter in school,” she says. “Then I teach classes. I’m also a mom and a wife 24/7. I teach again in the evening and, at night, I go to school to become a physical therapist and the only way I’m able to do all this is by being very organized and relying on my support system, which is my beautiful family.”

3. She’s a Foodie

Gabriels loves food and doesn’t diet when she’s not training. “I eat everything, lol, I love food and love cooking,” she says. With all the delicious stuff, two or three months before a fight, I do a very rigorous plan, but after that, I make sure I enjoy everything I can possibly enjoy. Life is too short to eat boiled chicken forever, you know?”

4. Gracious In Defeat

Gabriels is gracious in defeat when it comes to her competitors. “I think boxing is a sport of appreciation, it really depends on what skills you put more value on,” she says of a 2018 fight with Claressa Shields. “I believe It was so close it could've gone either way, even a tie but of course, there is an agenda, but what really bothers me were the score cards, if you watch Hammers fight, cards were better, but she did not fight a better fight than I did. Hopefully the rematch will happen this year in my division, (I went up to hers for that one) and that fight will be a no-doubter, I will make sure.”

5. Challenges of Championship

Gabriels is determined to show the importance of women’s sports. “It is indeed very difficult to get fights, since, in this sport, we are not appreciated as male fighters,” she says. “Since boxing culture is not big in my country, sponsors don’t jump in and they want to get in with no money in a world-class event. It is hard to be a female world champ, since money is tight and difficult to move around. The support is not the ideal but I’m so committed and being a world champ is not just raising your hands after you win; it’s an opportunity to become an inspiration. You show people you do whatever it is you have to do to make it happen and show them they can do it too.”

What has Anne de Paula been up to this summer, aside from marrying her longtime boyfriend, NBA and Philadelphia 76’ers MVP Joel Embiid? Showing off her incredible body in a bathing suit. “Summer archives,” the supermodel captioned a recent swimsuit selfie on Instagram. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Anne de Paula stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Does Muay Thai

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Anne’s favorite workout is Muay Thai, “without a doubt,” she told Sports Illustrated. “It’s a lifestyle for me. I love it and it’s good for your body. It’s also amazing for the mind.”

2. She Shadow Boxes

When she can’t get a Muay Thai workout in, she has an alternative. “The big thing I can do at home is shadow box. It's really fun and you can do it anywhere. I actually have a punching bag at home in Brazil and I’ll use it when I'm there. But in New York, when I'm home, I'll just shadow box and it's great,” she says, adding that it “helps build muscles in your arms and wrist. Plus it's great for stamina.”

3. She Does Strength and Weight Training

Anne also does strength and weight training exercises. “I work on my core muscles, push-ups and sit-ups. Jump rope I like to do at home. Squats too—I do those whenever I can. I also have weights for my legs and resistance bands that I use at home. I'm lucky because I also have a gym in my apartment building so I try and go three times per week when I'm in town,” she told Sports Illustrated.

4. She Walks

Anne maintains that “even walking around is great exercise. I walk everywhere when it's nice out and you get a good workout if it's a busy day. Now is the perfect time to be outside. It’s not that hot like summertime but not that cold either,” she told Sports Illustrated.

5. She Hydrates

What does Anne always keep in her bag? “Water,” she told Sports Illustrated. According to the Mayo Clinic, hydration is important for a variety of reasons. Water helps get rid of waste through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements, keeps your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, and helps protect sensitive tissues.

Professional boxer and MMA fighter Claressa Shields is sharing some positive affirmations with her fans on social media, spreading an inspiring message about self-love. Shields, 28, posted a picture of herself wearing a black bikini as she stood in the surf, looking happy and healthy. “I am happy 😊I am pretty 🤩I am wealthy 🤑I am living the life that I want 🫶🏾I am loved 🥰And things will get better ❤️‍🩹All things work in my favor 🙇🏾‍♀️,” she captioned the post. Shields’ training regimen is awe-inspiring—here’s how she does it.

1. Typical Day

Shields’ typical day when training consists of hours of different types of workouts. “A typical day in camp can go according to either of two plans. Plan 1 is I wake up at 9 am, make myself a small breakfast (2 boiled eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon and some steamed asparagus) or a fruit smoothie,” she says. “At 11 am I’m at the gym training. By 1:30 pm, I’m at the gym. My workout usually consists of bag drills, mitt work, shadow boxing, jumping rope, speed bag and ring drills. Then I either swim or run at 6 pm the same day. On the days I do Plan 2, I still wake at 9 am and have my breakfast and then 11 am-1:30 pm, I’m in the gym. But right after that, I do strength and conditioning, which consists of box jumps, dumb bell squats, some drills with weights for my upper body, or a four-mile run.”

2. Losing Weight

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Shields doesn’t find it difficult to drop weight when needed. “Losing weight is more about a routine than it is about eating less food,” she says. “The good thing for me is that I like healthy food – my body and mind feel best when I eat that way. The only difference in camp is I eat smaller portions of the food I like and drink a lot more water. This camp I’ve been heavy on fish, all kinds of fish from cod, salmon, Atlantic salmon — with sides of asparagus, sweet potatoes, rice or spinach. And body clock is important, so no eating after 7 pm.”

3. Boxing Training

Shields trains for hours every day. “My boxing routine requires strength and conditioning workouts in the morning,” she says. “Then I’ll train again with another two- to three-hour boxing session. I’ll hit the bag or pads with my coach and work on certain combinations. Then it’s working on the game plan and watching film. All that is about three hours. At the end of the day, there may even be a nighttime session or just an early morning session the following day.”

4. MMA Training Techniques

Shields MMA training has taught her many new techniques. “With MMA, my training has become completely different,” she says. “I make myself get up early in the morning to do my cardio. My coaches [at Jackson Wink] right now are showing me a lot of new techniques, which my body still needs to be conditioned to do. I’ll work on wrestling drills for about 45 minutes, then learn how to fight off the cage and against it, also learn how to take somebody down when they’re trying to resist. Two hours later, I have kickboxing, then it’s jiu jitsu. That’s a full day for me every day — unless I break the routine and say, You know what? I’m gonna give myself a rest.”

5. Forging Her Own Path

Shields refuses to be limited as to what her goals should be. “I admire Serena Williams and Beyonce — they’re just the best at what they do,” she says. “Beyonce didn’t put herself in a box by simply being an R&B singer. She raps, sings, dances — she does hard songs as well as soft ballads. When 'Lemonade' came out, everyone was like, Whoa, this is a new Beyonce, but it wasn’t — it was just a part of her she hadn’t shown. She never let anyone put her in that box. These people helped give me the power to prove that I can do both boxing and MMA. And just because people say it can’t be done doesn’t mean I have to put myself in that box of being either a boxer or MMA fighter — I can be both. I can be both girly and tomboyish. I can be humble and trash talk. No one will ever out me in a box — and it’s because of these people.”

German professional boxer Christina Hammer is taking a step back from the ring to enjoy some peace and quiet in Ibiza, Spain. Hammer, 33, shared an Instagram video of herself posing in a bikini and skirt while overlooking the town, against a gorgeous island sunset background. “Enjoy the little things in life. Going full throttle is good, relaxing is just as important, many people forget the balance between working and enjoying life, money does not give you your time back, so enjoy the little moment, this sunset 😍🙏🏼🌊🔥,” she captioned the post. Here’s the intense lifestyle that earns Hammer her downtime.

1. Boxing Family

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Hammer started boxing very early in life. “My whole family is very athletic and loves boxing,” she says. “My uncle started boxing in the gym. I tagged along a few times and instantly fell in love with the sport. I was born in Kazakhstan; we immigrated to Germany when I was one year old. I basically grew up in Germany and always had the support of my family to pursue what I love and I always loved sports! Ironically the sport that I excelled in was boxing; meanwhile my brother played the very popular sport in Germany, soccer or football, as we call it here. I had a great childhood; I didn’t box to get out of poverty and although we emigrated to Germany, I never lived in the ghetto and boxing is not a ‘way out.’"

2. Cool Activewear

Hammer loves that she doesn't have to choose between fashion and functionality. “I think it is cool that activewear is becoming more fashionable,” she says. “This lets me blend the two parts of my personality and lifestyle. I like that I can mix some of my gym clothes with my everyday wardrobe to create a unique personal style. I also think it is great how boxing has become a popular sport for women to get in shape. Especially since being in shape makes you feel more powerful in your life.”

3. Confidence In Herself

Hammer is confident about her abilities—and makes sure everyone knows it. “I love to train and always make sure I am in peak condition,” she says. “I have good size, height and reach. My jab and my footwork are the best in the division. I believe boxing is the best sport in the world and emphasizes speed, strength, technique, tactics. You have to use your intelligence and physical advantages together every moment. My looks outside the ring is a statement about the duality of boxing. I am a beast in the ring and a beauty in the street!”

4. Embracing Femininity

Hammer embraces being both strong and feminine. “Attitudes towards femininity are changing for the positive,” she says. “People are realizing that women can be both feminine and strong! When I'm in the ring I don't wear make-up. I stay focused and train to be the best boxer. I feel great as an athlete yet there are two sides to me. When I step into the ring I feel like a champion and a ‘beast’. I want to dominate my opponent. Outside of professional boxing I'm a young woman who loves fashion, makeup, shoes… I am comfortable being both strong and sexy.”

5. Role Model

Hammer loves representing women in sports, especially one that has traditionally been male-dominated. “I do love boxing because I fight for my dreams, literally and figuratively,” she says. “As a woman, success, specifically in the ring, on an elite level, I know is empowering, not only for me but for women from all over the world who watch me perform in the ring, in prime venues televised on major networks all over the world.”