Katlyn Cerminara (Chookagian) in Workout Gear Says "Fighting > Pilates"

Katlyn Cerminara is an extremely successful UFC fighter. She shares a lot of her training videos on Instagram. Last month, she posted a video of herself stretching and practicing her moves in the ring. Cerminara captioned the post, “Fighting > Pilates.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Katlyn Cerminara stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She’s Open

Cerminara opened up about her fertility struggles, and was glad to help others who were going through the same thing. “The day I opened up to the media about it, two other girls who work in the UFC came up to me crying and were like, 'Oh my god, I'm doing the same thing,’” she told People. “And even just that one little moment of having that camaraderie, feeling like you’re not alone, is very helpful. I even had a girl I've competed against before reach out, and she was in the exact same situation as me. I thought, ‘If I can help anyone else...' And it is kind of hard lying about everything all the time with my career.”

3. She Skis

Cerminara likes to ski to stay in shape. She shared this photo and these videos on Instagram of herself skiing in Oregon. Cerminara captioned the post, “A perfect cozy weekend.” Ski Canada states that the sport has a lot of benefits. “It’s well documented that skiing and snowboarding benefits cardiovascular health, overall fitness, strength, coordination, balance and more. Regardless of your health and fitness goals, strapping on a pair of skis or a snowboard is sure to fulfill some of them. Due to the versatility of skiing and snowboarding, it can encompass the benefits of a cardio workout, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session, and strength training session, all in one fun activity.”

4. She Loves Fruits & Vegetables

Cerminara makes sure to eat a healthy diet, especially when she’s training. She shared her typical training diet on Instagram. In the photos, she’s seen eating fruits and vegetables like apples, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, and salad greens. Harvard Health states that fruits and veggies are an important part of your diet. “A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check. Eating non-starchy vegetables and fruits like apples, pears, and green leafy vegetables may even promote weight loss. Their low glycemic loads prevent blood sugar spikes that can increase hunger.”

4. She Eats Eggs

Cerminara also likes to eat eggs when she trains, as you can see in the previous Instagram post. Eggs have a lot of health benefits. Keck Medicine of USC states, “Eggs have been a dietary staple since time immemorial and there’s good reason for their continued presence in our menus and meals. Not only do they offer culinary variety — hard-boiled eggs, omelets, deviled eggs and then some — they are also a source of protein, calcium and several vitamins and nutrients.”

5. She Called Out Body Shaming

In her People interview, Cerminara called out people who were body shaming her, especially while going through fertility treatments. "I don't want to be superficial, but the hardest part about it for me was the comments... I had people be like, ‘Wow, you look so heavy.' Or, ‘Are you pregnant? She's definitely pregnant. She hasn't fought, and look how heavy she looks.’ Obviously this is while you’re pumped up with all these hormones and so emotional, going through all this stuff. For me, the hardest part was that. Not talking about it and hiding it almost made it harder. If I'd been able to say, ‘Hey, this is what I'm going through’ then people wouldn't have made those comments.”