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Ballerina Diet - Professional Ballerinas Diet and Exercise Plan

9:30 to 11 A.M.

Class! We don't get our schedule until two days beforehand and it changes daily, so it's hard to have a regimented routine. It's exciting in a way because your day is never the same!

11 A.M.

I usually have a bag full of veggies—carrots and peppers and cucumbers—on hand to snack on before the next block of class or rehearsal, which lasts a few hours.

2 P.M.

Lunchtime! I follow a modified paleo diet—when we're in season, I find it's the best thing for my body, strength, and stamina. The gluten- and dairy-free aspects are the most beneficial for me, although I do have cheese on occasion.

3 to 6 P.M.

More rehearsals. During the week, I usually don't get in as much cross-training as I'd like. My favorite Vinyasa yoga class is in the middle of the day; if my schedule permits, I try to go. And on weekends, I'll play catch-up with FlyWheel classes for cardio and a special strength-training program called MaxOut.

6:30 P.M.

Once I'm home, it's time for dinner. My husband is a cook (and fellow dancer at the company), so he usually does his thing during the week. We always have some kind of protein and a vegetable—last night, we had a big salad with salmon on it and plantain chips. I love doing modified versions of non-paleo foods, like spaghetti squash. I've even made paleo calzones!

8 P.M.

I ice my ankles every night, no matter what, and sometimes I'll walk around in YogaToes. I also just try to relax.

11 P.M.

Good night!

Lesley Rausch, 32, principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet

7:30 A.M.

In the morning, I'll have a glass of water with the juice of half a lemon to take with supplements, plus a cup of green tea. (Sometimes I'll have an almond-milk latte in my new espresso machine.) And I make a smoothie with greens, strawberries, blueberries, a half banana, a scoop of protein powder, 1 teaspoon of macha powder, 1 cup of almond milk, 1 teaspoon of chia seeds, and 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts. I drink half in morning and half after class.

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Larita Shotwell

Update: 2024-11-06