Woman’s best friend! Ashley Benson’s workout routine has gone to the dogs. The Pretty Little Liars alum talked to Us Weekly on Tuesday, July 24, about getting fit with her two pooches ahead of the launch of SmartyPaws, a daily multivitamin supplement for canines.
“I recently started getting back into pilates, which I am obsessed with,” the model, 28, dished of her go-to training. “I do Rumble, which is like a boxing cardio mix-up.”
Sometimes, however, it’s as simple as taking her Maltese Shih Tzu, Olive, 9, and her Brussels Griffon, Walter Gene, 4, for a walk. “When I go for walks [with the dogs] I go to the park and log in my miles,” she explained before attending the event held at NYC restaurant Boris & Horton. “When I do, [SmartyPaws] makes a donation to the Humane Society.”
The program, which runs from now through September in conjunction with app Charity Miles, sees the dog-centric company shelling out 50 cents for every two miles walked, up to $25,000.
It’s an added incentive for the actress: “I think it’s just getting up and doing it,” she said of getting motivated. “You just have to push yourself. I usually work out in the morning, so it’s done.”
Benson, who suffers from anxiety, said her fur babies have also made her more conscious of her mental well-being. “I am always paranoid, [like], are they OK, do they have anxiety?” she admitted.
To maintain peace of mind, she’s started giving both of her pets the SmartyPaws supplement, which comes in nine formulas for various dog breeds and sizes, and works to promote joint, gut and skin health, reduce allergies and boost immunity. “Being able to give them something helps reassure me. It’s so easy. It’s once a day … It’s adorable and comes in a pink package.”
For each package sold, the company also makes a donation to the Humane Society of the United States — an organization close to Benson’s heart. “I see so many dogs in shelters or on the streets and it breaks my heart. If I could adopt every dog on the street, I would.”
Being free of worry allows the Spring Breakers star to focus on other things — like her first-time directing credit in an upcoming episode of I. Marlene’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff, The Perfectionists. “I am super excited,” she said.
Also in the works, a role as punk rocker Roxie in Her Smell alongside Elisabeth Moss (“I admire [her] so much”) and Amber Heard, for which Benson took five months of guitar lessons. “It’s harder than I thought!”
And in the star’s free time? Puppy playdates with her former PLL cast mates — though she admits the size differences between their canines can be problematic. “My dogs are just so small,” she said. “Walter is like … he thinks that he’s bigger than the other dogs. It’s an issue.”
