“Pretty Little Liars,” the can’t-stop-watching-it series that captivated younger audiences with its blend of mystery, drama, and the complexities of teenage life, also shone a spotlight on its stars, not just for their compelling performances but for their dedication to health and wellness. This list delves into how these actors balance their demanding careers with fitness regimes and lifestyle choices that keep them both physically and mentally fit. From yoga and hiking to mindful eating and mental health awareness, each star brings a unique perspective to staying healthy under the glare of Hollywood’s spotlight. Let’s explore their diverse approaches to maintaining wellbeing in a fast-paced industry.
Lucy Hale played the role of Aria Montgomery for the show’s entire run. She talked about her fitness secrets in an interview with People. Hale says that she likes to workout with others. “[My trainer’s] the one who’s forcing me to try pull-ups, so every couple of days we’ll try to do more,” Hale says. “But I also like group fitness. I think that’s a way you can see your friends and break a sweat but still have a good time. I do things like Soul Cycle and Training Mate. I love to hike.”
Shay Mitchell played the main character of Emily Fields for the entire series. In an interview with Byrdie, she talked about how she approaches diet and exercise. “If you can’t fit a workout in, it does really come down to your eating. Me being on set, I drink a lot of water. I try to opt out of coffee and drink green tea instead. There are always options. But I have my certain favourite things with me all the time when I’m on set.”
Ashley Benson starred as Hanna Marin for the entire show. She shared her go-to workout with Health Magazine. “Probably squats — and not for my butt but for my legs. We usually do circuit training, so I’ll do 25 squats, then I’ll run back and forth, and then I’ll do lunges to the other side of the gym both ways, run, then squats. I can’t move for days!”
Troian Bellisario played the main character of Spencer Hastings on the show. She shared her approach to health and wellness with The Cut. “Just [listen] to your body.” Bellisario said. “It’s a daily practice, and it takes a lot of quiet and stillness…to listen to what it needs for nourishment and to listen when it’s thirsty. Listen when [your body] wants to stretch its legs and walk out in the sunshine, and when it needs a day to sit on the couch.”
Janel Parrish played Mona Vanderwaal on the show. She tells E! News that she believes in starting her day with a positive affirmation. “Your day begins with what you tell yourself,” she explains. “If you start the day by believing it’s going to be a good day, you put yourself in that mindset. If you start the day in a negative place, you’re setting yourself up for failure”
Sasha Pieterse played Alison DiLaurentis on the show. She has PCOS, and wants to not only raise awareness about it, but also encourage people to see doctors for things that bother them. “There are all these things that seem somewhat normal sometimes depending on your lifestyle, but I feel like you have to just go and get it checked,” she told UsWeekly. “If you have a hormone imbalance, it can definitely be PCOS and that can lead to ovarian cancer and breast cancer and thyroid issues and many things later that could’ve been avoided. More than half of women have it and they don’t even know. It really is a huge issue that I want to share and hopefully help even one person deal with it.
Torrey DeVito played the recurring role of Melissa Hastings. DeVito is a vegan, and talked about this to The Chicago Sun Times. “I’m vegan in my fashion and vegetarian in my food. I don’t by any leather goods or anything made from animal products – no down, nothing. It’s something people should be mindful of.”
Amanda Schull played the recurring role of Meredith Sorenson. She shared her fitness secrets with RealStyleNetwork.com. “I try to carve a little time for exercise every day. Sometimes that is only 45 minutes of mat exercises, other days I have time to do a structured class like ballet or barre class. If I have a really early call time and don’t have a chance to exercise before work, I will bring a TheraBand to set to do strengthening exercises between scenes.“
Tammin Sursok played the recurring character, Jenna Marshall. She tells WHO that her exercise goes in cycles. “At the beginning of our cycles, we’re craving new exciting workouts, so in that week I try to change it up. Whether it’s in class activities or over an app, I focus on workouts that are new to me. In the middle of the month is when our energy peaks so that is when I optimise high-intensity HIIT workouts. Then near the end my body wants to slow down so that when I incorporate yoga, Pilates and long walks.”
Lesley Fera played the recurring role of Veronica Hastings for all seven seasons. Fera is a host on the Pretty Little Wine Moms podcast, and she tells Glitter Magazine that she gave her revenue from that to charity. “We love being able to donate to charities that are near and dear to our hearts. So far, we’ve been able to give 10% of all of our Patreon earnings to the following charities: Actor’s Fund, Feeding America, LA Regional Food Bank, American Nurses Foundation, Meals On Wheels, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Start Rescue, The Lange Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project.“
Bianca Lawson played Maya St. Germain on the first three seasons. She shared some of her favorite workouts with ReflectBeauty.com. “I’m someone that needs to move my body for mental health. I’ve done some dance video workouts and I also have “The Mirror”, but I’ve been dying to get out of the house to exercise. I went for a hike yesterday and it was heaven to workout in nature!”
Ian Harding played Ezra Fitz for the entire series. He talked about how he got the role to Ability Magazine. “I was very sort of lucky; not sort of, I was extremely lucky. It was the first audition for a lead in a TV show that I went to in Los Angeles. And my manager, who I still work with to this day, said, ‘Look, this is all just about getting practice. You know this already, but it’s kind of a stretch for you, and it’s your first pilot audition. Just go in, have fun, and learn how to audition.’ And because I didn’t have the pressure of needing to get the job, I went in and just messed around. And they were like, ‘Yeah, this is great.'”
Tyler Blackburn played Caleb Rivers on the show. He also stars on Roswell, and had to step back from the show to take care of his mental health. Blackburn wrote on Twitter, “I had to step down from filming season 4 and every single person in the cast and crew, as well as everyone at @warnerbros and @TheCW showed so much compassion. I am forever grateful to the human beings that made up this show.”