The Laker Girls are more than just skilled dancers and icons, they're also incredibly fit. We asked each Laker Girl what her secret is to staying fit. Check out our Laker Girls page.

Fitness Profile: Deanna

How did you prepare for Laker Girls auditions this summer?
While preparing for the Laker Girls auditions, I stuck with my normal work out regiment but kicked it up a notch! I added some high intensity spin classes three times a week. I also switched up my running from the treadmill to outside around my neighborhood. I stuck with my normal healthy eating habits but added some foods like salmon and avocado to really give my skin a healthy glow.

What other styles of dance do you do outside of Laker Girls rehearsals to maintain your skills.)?
I like to take both contemporary and hip hop classes outside of Laker Girls rehearsal. Our routines really focus on precision and sharp lines so I enjoy really letting loose and exploring my movement in the other styles. Hip hop also provides a great cardio work out.

Do you do anything outside of dance to stay fit (ie swimming, biking, etc.)?
I love the outdoors so hiking has always been an interest of mine. It’s easy to go from low to high intensity by picking a trail that goes up a steep climb or through a series of hills.

Take us through your typical workout. Do you use weights, cardio, flexibility exercises? If so, please describe.
I try to incorporate weights, cardio, and flexibility into my work outs. I like to do two types of cardio, one always being running and the other is rotating between the stair master and cycling. As far as weights go – I have a three day rotation including a leg day, a back and bicep day, and a chest and triceps day. For weights – I keep them light and do a lot of reps. I end my work out with ab reps, some Pilates core work, and normal dance stretches.

What do you eat to stay healthy/maintain energy?
I eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. I get all of my daily sugars from fruit. I try to stick to lean proteins and fish. I also like to snack on nuts to boost my metabolism. I stay away from overly processed foods because they don’t provide sustainable energy.

Talk about the importance of stretching, yoga or Pilates in your workout.
Stretching is the best tool to prevent injury. Yoga and Pilates are great for dancers because I feel it promotes long lean muscle as opposed to tight bulky muscle.

How do you balance dancing vs. other fitness related activities?
When I know I’m going to have an intense day of dancing, I normally won’t include my other fitness regimen (So I don’t overwhelm my body). On the days I don’t dance, I always go to the gym.

Who made you aware of the importance of staying fit?
I have a very “outdoorsy” and “energetic” family so physical activity has always been a staple in my life. My family also grows all their own produce so I’ve always had fresh produce to munch on as a kid.

What do you find a “nutritional snack” during the day? In addition, tell us about your favorite meal to eat that you find healthy for your lifestyle.
I love to snack on dried, unsweetened fruit. It gives me extra servings of fruit and I don’t need to keep it cooled. One of my favorite meals consists of chicken breast grilled on pineapple rings with asparagus spears and brown rice. It’s delicious and it includes some protein, starch, fruit and veggies.

What advice would you give to Lakers fans about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
I would tell any fan that maintaining a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about looking good but it has so much to do with feeling great everyday!

Do you have any everyday, helpful, healthy tips for any of the Lakers Fans?
Always shoot for the full 8 hours of sleep every night. It makes such a difference! Also, drink water. I feel it is most important in maintaining your health!

Fitness Profile: Veronica

How did you prepare for Laker Girls auditions this summer?
I prepared by running 2-3 miles every day and did exercises that really focused on strengthening my core, legs and arms. I also took dance classes to maintain good technique and stretched everyday to keep up with my flexibility.

What other styles of dance do you do outside of Laker Girls rehearsals to maintain your skills?
Even though it may not be my favorite dance style to take, I do like taking ballet classes because it continues to help me improve technically in all the styles of dance. I have taken hip hop and jazz consistently for years because those are my favorite styles. A new favorite of mine is contemporary. I enjoy this style because it is different as far as muscle memory for my body and it is a fusion of ballet, lyrical, jazz and jazz funk. My experience with contemporary is emotionally moving and allows me to perform from the heart.

Do you do anything outside of dance to stay fit (ie swimming, biking, etc.)?
Aside from dance, I have been playing on a basketball team since I was 5-years-old.

Take us through your typical workout. Do you use weights, cardio, flexibility exercises? If so, please describe.
If I am working out from home, I usually start with a 45 minute run and then running up and down stairs. I then use the “perfect pull-up and perfect push-up” to work on arms, chest, and abs. If I go to the gym I use the student recreational center at Cal State Fullerton. At the gym I spend 20 minutes on the stair master, 20 minutes on the treadmill, and then use the free weights, medicine balls, and a thera-brand to tone and work on flexibility.

What do you eat to stay healthy/maintain energy?
I try to stay away from fast food and eat a lot of “brain foods.” I love sushi, fruits, and tortilla wraps! I like to eat more meals that are smaller in portion and throughout the day than three heavy meals. I take multi-vitamins everyday and stay hydrated with water and vitamin water.

Talk about the importance of stretching, yoga or Pilates in your workout.
Stretching before dancing is very important so I do not hurt myself. I feel most injuries happen when dancers do not warm up first. Stretching helps with my flexibility and alleviates soreness.

How do you balance dancing vs. other fitness related activities?
I find that cross training between dancing and playing basketball complement each other because many of the movements are similar.

Who made you aware of the importance of staying fit?
Since I was little being physically active has been a priority in my family. My parents taught me the importance of living a healthy life.

What do you find a “nutritional snack” during the day? In addition, tell us about your favorite meal to eat that you find healthy for your lifestyle.
I love V8 juice, vitamin water, bananas, granola bars, trail mix, and grapes! My favorite healthy meal to eat is my dad’s homemade sushi and my mom’s Chinese chicken salad.

What advice would you give to Lakers fans about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
Living a healthy life influences happiness, relieves stress, and is good for the self-esteem.

Do you have an everyday helpful, healthy tips for any of the Lakers Fans?
Drink lots of water, eat breakfast, don’t miss meals, take daily vitamins, take power naps, and get a full good night’s rest.

Fitness Profile: Dara

How did you prepare for Laker Girls auditions this summer?
The past few months I prepared for the auditions by maintaining a daily dance schedule. Each week I would go to a local dance studio and work on my dance technique for two to three hours. This not only kept up my dance skills, but also my stamina. It was my idea of a perfect workout.

What other styles of dance do you do outside of Laker Girls rehearsals to maintain your skills?
When I am not at rehearsal, I enjoy taking classes such as jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary. I am definitely an up-beat kind of girl, so hip-hop and jazz are my favorite.

Do you do anything outside of dance to stay fit (ie swimming, biking, etc.)?
Since moving to California, I have recently begun working out at a local gym. Other than that, dance is a great workout for me and I enjoy myself at the same time.

Take us through your typical workout. Do you use weights, cardio, flexibility exercises? If so, please describe.
My typical workout usually consists of a good warm-up, some cardio, weights, and plenty of those ab work-outs we all love and enjoy! My favorite exercises are normally ones that focus on strengthening my leg muscles. (This helps a lot with dancing and flexibility.)

What do you eat to stay healthy/maintain energy?
Aside from eating a lot of fruit, I try to make sure that I eat at least 3 full course meals a day. With each meal, I have something like grilled chicken, or tilapia, with two different vegetables. To maintain energy, I attempt to drink a lot of water throughout the day.

Talk about the importance of stretching, yoga or Pilates in your workout.
I cannot stress enough how important stretching and warming up your muscles really is!! Having many hamstring injuries in my past, I’ve learned the hard way that you should always warm-up before doing any kind of exercising! Trust me- stretching at least once a day will help in the long run.

How do you balance dancing vs. other fitness related activities?
To ensure that I can balance dancing and working out, I make a point to work out every week. In addition, we have practice twice a week for 3 to 4 hours so it works out perfectly!

Who made you aware of the importance of staying fit?
Since I was a little girl, my parents and sister have always made sure I stayed very active and involved in various sports. They also made sure I kept a healthy diet, which is why now I eat almost any vegetable there is!! So let’s just say staying healthy and in shape has become a way of life for me. I don’t have to think or stress too much about it.

What do you find a “nutritional snack” during the day? In addition, tell us about your favorite meal to eat that you find healthy for your lifestyle.
My nutritional snack is a big bowl of fruit with yogurt and granola. I like to mix strawberries, bananas, apples, and grapes all together to make a fabulous fruit bowl! As for my favorite nutritional meal - I could eat a grilled chicken Caesar salad all day long!

What advice would you give to Lakers fans about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one way we, as individuals, can possibly pro long our lives, so if a healthy diet and a minor workout (as simple as a walk) means you could live longer – then why wouldn’t you want to do it. Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle…It could save your life!!

Do you have any everyday, helpful, healthy tips for any of the Lakers Fans?
My tip would be… Try to pay more attention to what foods you eat and what those particular foods are doing to your body. If your diet is poor, slowly try to change it. A minor, yet easy change would be cutting out all sodas and sugary drinks. Try drinking a lot of water. Just a small change like that can make a difference in how you feel!

Fitness Profile: Brilane

How did you prepare for Laker Girls auditions this summer?
To prepare for auditions, I took some jazz and hip-hop classes and also worked out about four to five days per week. I worked out at the gym or went running around my neighborhood. I tried to eat healthy and stay away from fast food.

What other styles of dance do you do outside of Laker Girls rehearsals to maintain your skills?
I have always been really into ballet because it is a great way to maintain my dance technique. I really enjoy contemporary and taking jazz, hip-hop, and technique classes.

Do you do anything outside of dance to stay fit (ie swimming, biking, etc.)?
Yes, I love being active outdoors by hiking, swimming, biking and running (with my dog). Although outdoor workouts are my favorite – I also enjoy taking some of the classes at the gym. They consist of cycling, yoga, Pilates, step aerobics and boot camp conditioning.

Take us through your typical workout. Do you use weights, cardio, flexibility exercises? If so, please describe.
Typically, when I go to the gym I begin with a 25-35 minute cardio session, but I don’t stick to one machine. I’ll usually mix it up. For example, 15 minutes on the treadmill (doing intervals of speed and incline), then 10 minutes on the elliptical and then finish with 10 minutes on the stair master. I always stretch and do a few reps of ab exercises. Also, every other day of working out, I switch my routine to focus on my muscles. For example, I either work on arms and back – or legs and glutes.

What do you eat to stay healthy/maintain energy?
I try to include all of the major food groups throughout my day and rather than have three big meals, I aim for six small meals per day. To maintain energy, I always carry around a bag of almonds. I also try to choose foods that have whole grains and fiber. I also will pick grilled over fried foods.

Talk about the importance of stretching, yoga or Pilates in your workout.
Stretching is so important, not only for a dancer, but for everyone! I especially enjoy yoga because not only does it stretch out your whole body but it focuses on breathing and lengthening muscles. (Not to mention it improves circulation) Also, I enjoy the toning exercises of Pilates.

How do you balance dancing vs. other fitness related activities?
Although dancing burns many calories and is a great workout – As a dancer it is important to workout outside of dance classes. If I dance every other day, then I will fill in the other days of the week with a workout. This is crucial, especially when my muscles get sore and tense from dancing because working out and stretching those muscles will make a big difference in toning and lengthening them.

Who made you aware of the importance of staying fit?
I have been a dancer my whole life, but I really began to understand the importance of staying fit from my high school dance coach. We were encouraged to eat healthy before dance class throughout the day. Also, we were encouraged to do cardio exercises to maintain and boost our endurance and energy.

What do you find a “nutritional snack” during the day? In addition, tell us about your favorite meal to eat that you find healthy for your lifestyle.
My favorite nutritional snack is a handful of whole natural almonds and an apple. I also like protein snack bars because they are delicious and provide a good amount of “full” before a workout. My favorite “healthy meal” includes a variety of foods from the food pyramid – grilled chicken, vegetables (especially broccoli) and a baked potato or bread (carb).

What advice would you give to Lakers fans about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
To maintain a healthy lifestyle by working out and eating healthy is so important now, and also for your future. The way you take care of your body today will affect your future health and it is up to you for that effect to be positive or negative. Just a few days of working out and controlling what you eat will make such a big difference. Eating and working out will also provide you with a sufficient amount of energy for your day and make you feel better mentally.

Do you have any everyday, helpful, healthy tips for any of the Lakers Fans?
Always eat in moderation. I encourage snacking throughout the day rather than eating only three large meals or waiting until you are very hungry to eat. Also, try to do a few sit-ups and push-ups at night or take your dog for a walk. Find a fun outdoor activity to do because these work-outs will be more fun and personalized to what you like. Basically, find something that you enjoy that works with your lifestyle and make it a weekly routine. Stick to it, set goals, and treat yourself when you reach them.