Top 5 Sports to Accelerate the Weight Loss Process.

Other than healthy eating, increased physical activity is another great way to lose weight. While most people like going to the gym, it can often get repetitive and boring, causing you top lose morale. So, why not engage in something you'll actually enjoy doing like sports?

Sports provide a fat-shedding stimulus that will keep you fit and healthy as well. Since you'll like what you are doing, you are more likely to stick to it. And we all know how important consistency and patience is when looking to lose weight. Here are a few sports to help you accelerate your weight loss process:

Seo Ji Sub in Always (2011).

Boxing
Boxing utilizes most of your body muscles, offering a fully toned body. Workouts are so intense that you can burn up to 800 calories in an hour, which makes it among the most effective sport to accelerate your weight loss process. In addition, boxing improves your muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness, which is essential for a long-term weight loss process.

Squash
Squash is a racquet sport that requires a lot of movement of your whole body to be able to hit the ball. The rallies in squash tend to be longer and the breaks between points are shorter compared to other racquet sports, making it the most cardio-demanding sport you can engage in. An hour of playing squash will melt over 700 calories. The constant running also builds up your muscle strength and endurance in the lower body.

Lee Soo Hyuk in Lucky Romance (2016).

Tennis
Whether as a sport or a recreational activity, playing tennis is another great way to lose weight. This sport combines several intense actions that help you to strengthen your muscles and improve your cardiovascular system. Tennis helps you achieve a fully toned body by working your legs, belly, arms, buttocks, and back. If you still need convincing, look at all the tennis players, they are mostly thin with toned bodies. To begin your weight loss journey with this sport, you need the best tennis shoes, a Racquet, tennis clothes, tennis balls, and useful accessories such as sunglasses and a sweatband.

Swimming
Swimming is a great sport for weight loss for a number of reasons. First, it challenges your entire body, working both your lower and upper muscles. With the many swimming strokes available this sport provides different types of aerobic exercises, offering a new challenge to master each time. If you are looking for a fun activity during the summer that will help you continue your weight loss journey then start looking for a pool near you. You'll be amazed at the level of fitness you can achieve with a few daily laps in the pool.

BTS playing beach volleyball.

Volleyball
Playing volleyball involves physical activities like running and doing squats. These activities will require you to use most parts of your body, including the arms, legs, thighs, buttocks, and hands. It goes without saying that playing volleyball tones and shapes your entire body. An hour-long game of volleyball can help you burn over 300 calories, and this number goes up when you play on a much less stable ground of sand.

Best of Both Worlds | Korean Celebrities and Mixed Martial Arts.

The long weekend is about to come to an end, but I'm still on a high from the action that was UFC Macao. Although I must say, I was rather disappointed that Dong Hyun Kim lost that way. I had high hopes that he would stun Tyrone Woodley the way he did with John Hathaway; unfortunately his grinding, relentless fighting style took the best of him.

Next month, UFC will be bringing the action to Saitama, Japan, with three Korean mixed martial arts fighters included in the fight card. Kang Kyung Ho and Hyun Gyu Lim will be fighting against Japanese contenders in their respective Prelims matches, while Choo Sung Hoon (more popularly known as Yoshihiro Akiyama) will fight in the main card against Kyle Noke.

You might not know this (unless you're a Kdrama/variety show fan), but Choo Sung Hoon is also a TV star in Korea. He currently appears in 'Superman is Back', a reality show where celebrity dads are left to care for their kids alone for 48 hours without the help of anyone.

In fact, there are a few other Korean celebrities who are making a name for themselves in the mixed martial arts scene. Here are some of them:

1. Cheon Jung Myung.
The star of Cinderella's Sister, Fashion 70's, and Glory Jane, Cheon Jung Myung has more than just acting awards to his name. He also holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), and trains under Professor John Frankl - the founder of BJJ in Korea.

Photo credit: Cheon Jyung Mung.

 2. Lee Jae Yoon.

Also training under John Frankl, Lee Jae Yoon holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is famous for his roles in Queen of Ambition, Cruel City, and Golden Rainbow. Oh, and he was also in Macao to watch UFC Fight Night. :)

Photo credit: Lee Jae Yoon.

3. Lee Si Young. 

In 2010, Lee Si Young took up boxing to prepare for her role as a female boxer in a TV drama. While the drama ended up getting scrapped, Lee fell in love with the sport and continued with her training. At present, Lee is a member of the Incheon City boxing team, and is the first and only Hallyu star to become a national team athlete for any sport in Korea.

Lee Si Young at the National Amateur Boxing Championship.

4. Lee Seung Yoon.

Popular for his stint in 'Gag Concert' and his segments 'Fitness Girl' and 'Health Show', Lee Seung Yoon is also a mixed martial arts fighter. He made his debut on Road FC (Korea's number one MMA organization) in October 2010, going up against a professional MMA fighter ten years his junior.

Photo credit; Hancinema.

5. Yoon Hyung Bin.
Also a Gag Concert alumni, Yoon Hyung Bin made his debut as a professional mixed martial arts fighter in Road FC earlier this year. He competed against Japanese fighter Takaya Tsukuda in the lightweight category, and earned the victory by knocking out his opponent in the first round.

Photo credit: Road FC.

Mixed martial arts is growing in leaps in bounds in Korea and I'm sure Korean MMA fans are looking forward to a UFC event in their country. I for one, would love to have a UFC event here in the Philippines! Dana White, Fertita brothers, anyone from Zuffa? :)

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes | Julaton to Replicate Pacquiao's Feat?

Will Ana Julaton emerge victorious in her first-ever mixed martial arts fight?
After Manny Pacquiao's victory over Timothy Bradley, I bet this question has been looming over Filipino fans, and mixed martial arts fans in general.

Exactly one week from today, we will get the answer as Ana Julaton makes her debut on ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in the card featuring the world bantamweight title fight between Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes and Japanese Masakatsu Ueda.

Julaton, who is of Filipino descent, will be battling former Egyptian kickboxing champion Aya Saeid Saber, who holds an MMA record of 2-3 and has been competing in professional MMA since 2012. Critics say this is considered an added advantage against the Fil-Am.

Photo credit: Ana Julaton.

But what is going in favour of Julaton is her boxing skills and experience being the former WBO and the IBA women's super bantamweight champion. Her deep involvement with martial arts (she's been into it since she was a kid) and black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo Karate are also plus points for Julaton.

These skills, combined with the new ones she has learned as an MMA fighter will be initially on display when Julaton conducts an open workout for the media and interested fans on Tuesday, April 29, at 2 p.m. at World Muay Thai Team USA at 4008 Yague St, cor. Chino Roces, Makati City. 

Julaton’s entry into MMA is generating growing interest as fans are curious if she would be able to duplicate her success in boxing in the ONE FC cage. She admitted that the transition to MMA has been physically tough but she’s enjoying it, adding that she’s used to the pressure of top competition. She is aware that in MMA a fighter has to use the hands and the feet, the elbows and the knees as well as grappling.

“With an opportunity to fight for ONE FC, a stage that reaches 1 billion viewers in Asia, it's important for me to be humble and to continue getting better as a fighter. When I debut on May 2nd, in front of 20,000 ‘kababayans’, I must be focused. There's a lot on the line,” said Julaton in an interview with Rappler.

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes.

Other Filipinos on the ONE FC card are Eduard Folayang, Jujeath Nagaowa, Rey Docyogen, and Eugene Toquero.

Folayang (13-4), who won an exciting match just last December against Dutch-Indonesian Vincent Latoel, will face a former champion in Japanese Kotetsu Boku, who is also coming off a TKO win over Arnauld Lepont last March.

Former WBC Asia Atomweight Champion Nagaowa, the first Filipina who will be fighting in the ONE FC cage, will take on seven-time kickboxing champ Jeet Toshi of India.

Former URCC champion Docyogen will be looking to get back into the winners circle against American fighter Joshua Alvarez, while Toquero (4-1) will face undefeated Malaysian-American Gianna Subba (3-0).

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes | Ana Julaton set for MMA debut.

After making a name for herself in the world of professional boxing, Ana 'The Hurricane' Julaton will become a two-sport athlete as she makes her mixed martial arts debut in ONE FC.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “ONE FC is returning to the Philippines with a night of exciting mixed martial arts action. Filipino fight fans have been clamoring to see Ana Julaton in action for years and their wait is finally over as Julaton will make her mixed martial arts debut opposite kickboxing champion Aya Saeid Saber. This explosive bout completes the lineup for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES. Fans all over the world can look forward to a night of world class mixed martial arts action as ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES comes to you live from the Philippines!”

Photo credit: Kevin Iole

Ana 'The Hurricane' Julaton is the first Filipina boxer to win the women’s WBO Super Bantamweight and IBA Super Bantamweight World Championships. Julaton’s signing with ONE FC marks her first step to becoming a two-sport athlete. Her overpowering attacks in the ring earned her the nickname “The Hurricane” and made her a fan favorite in the Philippines. It took her only five professional bouts to win a championship in boxing and she hopes her mixed martial arts career will be equally successful.

Ana Julaton is excited to compete in the Philippines for the first time. She stated, "Aya Saber is an experienced MMA warrior and champion in kickboxing. I know she will bring her very best on May 2nd. I'm training for my ONE FC homecoming fight in Manila harder than ever before and what gives me strength through my ups and downs are the hearts of my kababayan all over.”

Julaton vs Saber - the match that completes the ONE FC: Rise of Heroes fight card.

Aya Saeid Saber is an Egyptian kickboxing champion who has conquered the kickboxing scene in the Middle East. Saber now sets her sights on scaling ONE FC’s highly competitive female circuit. She combines explosive kicks with steadily improving takedown skills. This is a clash of striking styles and Saber is relishing her opportunity to upstage Julaton and upset the boxing world champion in front of her 20,000-strong Filipino home crowd.

Saber stated, “I am excited and honored to be the first female mixed martial artist from Egypt to compete in ONE FC. I can’t wait to get into the cage and beat Ana and make my fight team and family proud. Unlike Ana, I am not new to MMA. Be careful Ana, you are entering my world. I’m coming!”

Tickets for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES are on sale now at SM Tickets. Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VIPs at PHP 6,360 followed by Patron PHP 3,180, Lower Box PHP 1,280, Upper Box PHP 640 and General Admission PHP 220.

Fans in the Philippines can catch all the action live on FOX Sports Philippines while the rest of Asia can catch the action live on STAR Sports. Check your local listings. Also, fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

London 2012 | Hobnobbing, Star-spotting!

If plane tickets and a gold credit card are all that I need to go to London, then most likely I won't be here - at home, in the Philippines, blogging.

After watching the opening ceremony and witnessing the Olympic Torch being lit, the little man has been bugging me like crazy to go to London so he could see the 'big fire' (as he calls it) for himself. He kept on asking for this incessantly, to the point where you just want to give in to his whim just so he would stop nagging. Unfortunately, the little man and I don't have a British visa, unlike Mum who now happens to be a citizen.

To pacify him a bit, I made him wear his London 2012 shirt set to school the other day. Wednesday is wash day, so they don't have to wear their school uniform.

Meanwhile, in Westfield, my cousin John and his friends are on a school break and enjoying the crazy, fun, sublime atmosphere of the Olympics. He even had the chance to meet athletes on several occasions.

Ike Diogu of Hornets/LA Clippers.

Al Faruq Aminu of the New Orleans Hornets.

Our very own Bulilit, Mark Barriga!

As you can see, my cousin and his friend Fernan are still proud Pinoys, despite their British citizenship. My cousin even calls out Mayweather in this interview with EsNews. And Fernan calls him a 'relic of the past', LOL!

Cockney usually amazes me (Gordon Ramsay's in particular), but hearing it from my cousin just made my migraine recur. Hahaha! Peace, brother. See you in December!