Nneka Ogwumike in Workout Gear Says "Practice Makes Perfect"

Nneka Ogwumike is a professional basketball player, currently playing for the Seattle Storm. She previously played for the Los Angeles Sparks, and played in Russia and Poland. She shared a new video on Instagram of herself practicing on the court. Ogwumike captioned the post, "You are your fiercest competitor." How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Nneka Ogwumike stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

Ogwumike talked about her diet secrets in an interview with GQ. She says that she doesn't like to use the word 'diet', as it doesn't help her eat better. "I always tell people that instead of 'dieting,' you have to consider it a lifestyle. I feel like 'diets' restrict people to rules. For me, I approach my diet and what I put into my body as a way of life. There are certain things that I like to eat that may not necessarily be good for me. When I have a craving, I know how I can fulfill it, or at least supplement the craving with something close to it that may not be as detrimental."

Ogwumike shared some of her wellness secrets in an interview with ESPN. She says that she likes to do yoga and similar exercises to recover. "Yoga. I switch it up depending on the day. On recovery, I incorporate slower pace and a bit more stretching." John Hopkins Medicine says that yoga has a lot of health benefits. "Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles, while holding a pose can build strength."

Ogwumike does a lot of core workouts, and shared her favorites with ESPN. "I do a lot of bird dogs and planks. Dynamic planks are what I work on because I need to work on my back stability. When you do planks, it allows you to develop that." Lifehack.org states that planks have a lot of benefits. "A plank workout is one of the best exercises for strengthening your core. You'll note that when you maintain the plank posture, your biceps, neck, and shoulder muscles are also put to the test and stretched. This is excellent news if you like to do press-ups because it encourages their growth and development."

Ogwumike loves to cook, and shared some of her favorite recipes with ESPN. "I'm really great at making breakfast. I can make pancakes out of anything. I can make buckwheat pancakes, almond flour pancakes. I make really fluffy coconut flour pancakes. Pastries are kind of like my weakness, so I try to find ways to cook sweet things in the kitchen."

Although Ogwumike is a professional athlete and does a lot of fitness, she doesn't like to push herself too hard. She tells ESPN that she's limited her exercise for this reason. "I don't do as much as I used to. I used to think that you had to do everything to really get the benefits. But everyone's body is different. I learned that my body doesn't need so much. It reacts very quickly to whatever I eat or whatever training I do, so I try to really limit all the extra stuff and keep it simple."