Rose Namajunas, a top-tier MMA fighter known for her intense dedication and skill, also radiates resilience in her mindset and spiritual beliefs. Recently, she shared a powerful Instagram video of herself boxing, captioned with the verse: “2 Corinthians 2:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” From martial arts as her fitness foundation to stretching routines and a commitment to a natural diet, Namajunas’s journey emphasizes mental strength and holistic well-being. She also focuses on being a role model and believes that controlling one’s own actions—not the opponent’s—leads to personal growth in both life and MMA.
Martial arts is the main way Namajunas stays in shape. She recommended that others train in martial arts in an interview with Health Wellness Colorado. “Everybody can benefit from martial arts, especially women. I’d suggest starting with a jiu-jitsu or cardio kickboxing class. All the problems in your day can be solved much better once you let your physical energy release. No matter what’s going on, stimulating your mind, body and spirit helps you handle it all better. It’s an art form. You’re not a hamster on a wheel, there’s a purpose behind every movement. That’s the key to being happy: knowing your purpose with everything you devote your time to.”
Namajunas opened up about her diet in an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show. She says that she avoids eating a lot of processed food. “I try and make everything homemade as possible. So that’s kind of my thing. I’m never ‘anti’ anything, except for lots of sugar and things that are obviously bad for you. The more process that something takes in order to make from scratch, I think the less you should eat it…I try not to be too scientific with stuff. Whatever makes you feel good I think is what you should eat. I don’t like sweets or anything like that. My parents are Lithuanian refugees. We grew up eating sauerkraut and potatoes. You know, just real Eastern European type stuff. I never really liked candy or anything like that. It’s always been a lifestyle for me and not like I’m on this diet like this thing I have to do.”
Namajunas talked about wanting to be a role model in her Health Wellness Colorado interview. “I took a risk going into this. It was a passion and now I’m the highest paid female strawweight. I can’t think of many other sports where women can excel. What I love about MMA is that it isn’t about being intimidating or having big muscles. It’s about knowing yourself and patiently developing your skills. When I first started, I was looking up to female fighters like Cyborg and Gina Carano. Now I’m side-by-side my role models. Today you can almost go into any MMA gym and find women practicing. It’s a drastic change from when I first started and was the only girl. And you see that increase because it’s benefiting a lot of people’s lives.”
When it comes to her training, Namajunas focuses on herself, not her opponent. “We’ll spend a week figuring out a way to shut down their strength and attack their weakness, but then I train only to make myself better,” she tells Health Wellness Colorado. “The fight is hardly ever about the opponent. This is the same for life. We’re always in a constant fight with ourselves or a situation, whether it’s rush-hour traffic or a fight with a loved one. It’s important to learn that you can only control yourself and your response. MMA teaches you to do that. During the fight, I try to breathe, trust my training, and not think too much.”
Namajunas makes sure to stretch. She revealed in this Instagram post that she likes to go to a professional place to help her stretch. Namajunas captioned it, “If you’re in the area I strongly recommend @stretchzone_arvada to just about everyone! Especially my fellow martial artists and combat sports athletes. Just two sessions and I feel amazing I didn’t even know I’ve been looking for this type of therapy for my whole life! 😆 but it’s true!”