A Charge of Motivation: 11 books on healthy lifestyle and professional sports

In our digest we have collected candid autobiographical stories of outstanding athletes, books about training and preparation for competitions, as well as culinary novelties with simple recipes for delicious and healthy food.

Athletes’ autobiographies

Unstoppable: My Life
Author: Maria Sharapova
Five-time winner of Grand Slam tournaments Maria Sharapova tells how from a four-year-old girl with a racket in her hands she became a strong and truly unstoppable tennis player. Sharapova’s life philosophy, constant forward movement, growing up, family, downs and ups, the path to her dreams – the outstanding sportswoman writes frankly about all this.

Moving up: seconds of glory
Author: Sergey Belov
The story of the legendary basketball final of the USSR – USA at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, based on the memories of the great basketball player Sergei Belov. Here you can dive into the psychology and philosophy of one of the creators of victory, as well as find stories about friendship and betrayal, about meetings and partings – in short, about life.

Running Without Sleep. Revelations of an ultramarathoner
Author: Dean Karnazes
In this autobiographical book, the outstanding ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes not only shares stories from his childhood and reflections on life values, but also, of course, describes the various stages of the race that changed his mind. At times, he had to run for several days without a break! Moreover, the athlete gives practical advice, talks about nutrition and his training.

To give his all. My autobiography
Author: Didier Drogba
The famous soccer player Didier Drogba is honest and straightforward in his autobiography. He writes about his childhood in the poor neighborhoods of Côte d’Ivoire, and the beginning of his career, and friendships on the field and off it, and the glory, and the moments when everything went wrong. The footballer opens us his experiences, frankly writes about bitter tears and happiness.

“Football has given me a lot, but now I realize that he defined for me the highest purpose. It has given me the opportunity to help others because of the level I have reached,” writes Drogba.

Practical advice

Against the Records: Experience of Mass Sports Research
Author: Andrei Adelfinsky
In 2004, the author conceived a popular guide to triathlon for fans of running, swimming, cycling and skiing – as part of a campaign to promote this then little-known sport to the domestic public. The campaign was ultimately successful – triathlon is now more popular than ever. The handbook turned into this book: a scientific study of the phenomenon of sport.

The reader will learn how athletes “eat” physical trainers, and businessmen – teachers, when fitness was invented, why 80-year-old athletes run marathons and why triathlon moves forward not only culture, but also the economy …

Total Immersion: How to Swim Better, Faster, and Easier
Authors: Terry Laughlin, John Delves
What does endurance depend on? How can you improve your swimming technique? Terry Laughlin, the author of this book, is believed to be able to feel confident in the water and even swim for hours without running out of breath. According to the author, success is based on proper technique, which can be learned through the exercises presented in the book.

Anatomy of Strength Exercises Using Your Own Weight as a Weighing Weight
Author: Bret Contreras
Behind the cover with a long and complicated title hides a manual with 156 exercises for a variety of muscle groups, including muscles of the arms, shoulder girdle, chest, back, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, shins. The exercises utilize your own body weight as an additional load to be effective. The book is equipped with many anatomical images that clearly show which muscles are involved in a particular exercise.

Yoga. Anti-stress
Authors: Robert Butera, Erin Byron, Staffan Elgelid.
The question of inner harmony is becoming more and more important, especially when we experience daily psychological stresses. Yoga is known to help us relax and restore inner balance. In this book you will find advice from yoga experts, special breathing exercises and asanas aimed at improving sleep and general well-being.

The Triathlete’s Bible. A comprehensive guide
Author: Joe Freel
The author of this book has tried to include everything that will help a triathlete prepare for events such as sprint triathlon, Olympic distance and, of course, Ironman. All the necessary information is outlined on the pages of this book: training principles and methods, nutrition, endurance building, stretching and recovery, injury prevention, and selecting the right equipment.

Healthy Food

How to green
Author: Alexandra Novikova
If food is not only tasty, but also healthy – it is a success. In the cookbook by Alexandra Novikova you can find a lot of recipes for every taste and for all occasions. It turns out that you can not limit yourself in sweet. If the dessert is prepared correctly, the figure will not suffer. A pleasant bonus – in front of each recipe it is indicated how long it will take to prepare the dish.

Scandinavian cuisine
Author: Bronte Aurelle
The book contains simple recipes imbued with the color of the Scandinavian countries. The author of the book was born in Denmark, so the secrets of delicious and healthy food are familiar to her from childhood. The book shows how familiar ingredients can form uncomplicated, but unusual in flavor combinations. On the pages you can find dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as holiday recipes.