Rapper, singer and songwriter Nicki Minaj is having a comeback year and will perform for the first time since 2018 at this year's Video Music Awards, where she will also receive MTV's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, the first person to take home the coveted award since 2019. It's a good thing she's stayed fit, trim and stage-ready during the pandemic and beyond as she shows off her chops in a new Instagram post. "Nicki has broken barriers for women in hip-hop with her versatility and creative artistry," Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming and events, Paramount+, told Variety. "She has shifted the music industry and cemented her status as a global superstar with her crossover appeal, genre-defying style and continuing to be unapologetically 'Nicki.'" How does she stay so fit? Read on to see how Nicki Minaj stays in shape and the photos that prove they work. And to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

Minaj is living a healthier lifestyle since the birth of her son, Papa, in 2020 and recently revealed she's given up weed. She posted on Twitter to her 25 million followers: "I used to b happy when I was high. Now I'm happy when I'm sober. No judgement to anyone. Be gentle with yourself." She no longer uses marijuana as a coping mechanism.

"I was trying to do this diet and I kept putting it off," Minaj told ET Online about losing her pregnancy weight. But once she put her mind to it, she succeeded. "I didn't think I could have the discipline in what I ate," she said. "Once my mind was committed to it, my body committed to it."

Minaj told ET Online in 2020 that she was still "20 pounds away from my goal weight." But, she added, she will feel good about herself however she looks. "I've been talking about that this year too, about being kind to yourself, and allowing yourself to be human, while at the same time, being motivated and powerful, but also treating yourself as if you love yourself too," she said. "And being easy on yourself. Like, nothing and no one is perfect."

Minaj adjusts her diet to maintain her physique. "When I feel I need to lose weight, I just change what I eat," she told ET. "I cut out carbs and sugar. I'll do water and protein and fruit. But I do think that you should work out."df44d9eab23ea271ddde7545ae2c09ec

"I don't work out," Minaj told ET. She said that too much exercise alters her famous figure. "I hate it," she said. "I don't mean to sound super lazy. I tried it for a time. I lost my [ample chest]." "Studies show that the total amount of energy expended is what's important for health, not whether it comes in short or long bouts," says Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who studies the role of physical activity in disease prevention. "This certainly is an encouraging message for people who are inactive," she tells Harvard Health, which adds "that the previous guidelines recommended exercising in sessions lasting at least 10 minutes."