Julie Vanloo in Two-Piece Workout Gear is "A Whole Vibe"

Julie Vanloo is on fire in her latest WNBA fit check. In a new social media post the professional basketball player shows off her flat abs and serious swagger in a Puma outfit that includes a crop top. “A whole vibe 🔥🔥🔥,” one of her followers commented about the look. How does the Washington Mystics star approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Bullying Gave Her Confidence

Julie used her experience being bullied by boys to fuel her confidence. “Well, as a woman, you have to fight harder in general. Men quickly take things for granted, especially in this industry. When I was four years old, I was a member of a boys basketball team. I got bullied there because I was better than them and they didn’t like that. But this made me who I am today. It made me confident and made me stand my ground. Their mentality is mostly wrong. They immediately assume that, because I’m a woman, I’m worse than them. But that is most certainly not true. Oh and don’t get me wrong here, I’m not a man-hater!” she told Aesthetic Wolf.

2. Happiness Is Her Goal

What is the biggest goal within her career? ““It used to be an ambitious goal. My goal was to get into the EURO League. But now as I got older, it changed to me wanting to be happy. I want to feel good in my skin and be able to do my thing. Sometimes you have to think about yourself and your own wellbeing. I think it would be hard to function without being happy,” she told the same publication.

3. Hiking

Julie enjoys hiking in her free time. According to the National Parks Service, the physical benefits of hiking include:

• Building stronger muscles and bones
• Improving your sense of balance
• Improving your heart health
• Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems

4. Walking Her Dog

Julie, a dog owner, also takes her pooch on long walks. Going for a daily walk can be a game changer in terms of exercise, especially at a brisk speed. One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.

5. Basketball

As a professional basketball star, Julie spends most of her time on the court. “Basketball promotes speed, agility, strength, power and endurance. It [has] also been shown to increase flexibility and motor coordination. As a result, basketball is uniquely oriented to improve fundamental motor skills that are shown to be beneficial in promoting general health,” Koco Eaton, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, founder of Eaton Orthopaedics and a former basketball player, tells Nike.