Julie Benz credits figure skating to her success

One of my favorite actresses is Julie Benz.  Currently, she plays Rita on Showtime's Dexter.  Before that, she played Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

She's one of Carl's favorite actresses, too.  As he puts it, she's "Nummy-nummy-nummy."  I have to admit, I would love to have her figure just to hear him say that about me.

Turns out, Benz is a former figure skater who, with her partner, placed 13th in pairs at the junior level in 1988.  In an article in American Fitness, she credits her former ice rink days in giving her the discipline to take on her acting roles.  "I actually love exercise. I can't go for more than three days without working out or being physical," she admits. "That's the way I clear my head."

Her workout routine includes a lot of work on her legs and her bahookie.  "I do a lot of squats, lunges, walking lunges, jumps and sprints."

Seigler, Bonnie.  "Benz:  fitness with finesse."  American Fitness.  November/December 2008.