With blockbuster Verity hitting cinemas this week, Dakota Johnson has been dazzling the spotlight alongside costar Anne Hathaway to promote Colleen Hoover’s psychological thriller. But in between filming, red-carpet appearances and cover shoots, how does the star stick to a workout routine?
Dance
“I danced as a child, so I have to exercise every day or I’ll go crazy,” she explained to British Vogue in 2025. “I’m a very sensitive person, so if I go off track for two days, I feel like I’m dying, which is probably also a problem. I just want to feel good in my body.”
Yoga
“I do a lot of yoga and I walk a lot,” she added, citing Tracy Anderson workouts as well as the Sculpt Society, a community developed by celeb trainer Megan Roup that follow a method that mixes strength training, endurance and dance cardio.
“Megan Roup, the founder of the Sculpt Society, is my trainer – she’s the best and kicks my butt.”
Nutrition
According to a Women’s Health interview with her trainer, Dakota follows a 3-2-1 principle when it comes to her eating habits.
“It’s just proportions, when to eat, smaller meals and more meals. So, things like having three meals a day, two snacks and a minimum of one litre of water a day.”
“[I recommend] leaner meat and fish, salads, and definitely eating in a way that the food is grilled, not fried.”
But she doesn’t shy away from a treat, either – it’s just in moderation.
“Every now and then, you have that glass of wine, but you’re not drinking a bottle of wine every night. You have to just moderate yourself.”
Wellness
Her priorities are simple, and she enters the fitness space with a well-rounded approach – combining movement, sleep and nutrition.
“I think as you get older, you also learn how important sleep, nutrition and hydration are, as well,” she said. “I can see the difference in my skin and how I feel, my energy.”
Follow Dakota’s routine
Dakota discovered Megan’s low impact sculpt and dance cardio workouts during the pandemic, and she allegedly gravitated toward the sweat sessions so much that she kept coming back for more!
According to Megan, her goal in the Sculpt Socoety is to build strength and stamina to keep up with her long days on set – and it can look a bit like this:
2-3 days per week: 45-minute dance cardio + strengthening class
“No class is the same,” says Megan. “They all have a dance cardio warm-up, but each workout targets different muscle groups. Some are focused on the inner thigh, and others, the outer thigh, booty, abs, or arms.”
“We’d do dance cardio with 3-pound hand weights, then standing legs, then we’d go into plank abs, then two glute-focused combinations wearing an ankle weight, and end with dance cardio.”
2-3 days per week: 20+ minute dance cardio + strengthening class
When Dakota is filming, Megan will send her various workouts to squeeze in and around days on set, depending on her schedule. “Every week, I’d send her 20-, 30-, and 45-minute workouts to work into her schedule depending on what it looked like,” she said.
“I’m all about committing to shorter workouts so you can consistently show up. It’s not sustainable to work out hours a day. If you fit in at least 10 minutes every day, you’ll be more motivated to continue your practice and see results compared to going hard all the time and getting burned out.”
1+ day per week: Rest and recovery
Recovery is a high priority on Megan’s list of training priorities – and she makes sure it stays part of Dakota’s fitness program too.
“I recommend at least one rest day per week,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you have to be sedentary. It can be an active recovery day – a walk outside, a stretch, sauna, or, in Dakota’s case, gentle yoga.”
Megan Roup created The Sculpt Society after struggling to find a workout routine that was both effective and enjoyable. She created workout programs centred around dance cardio and sculpting exercises to inspire and empower others on their fitness journeys. For more information and to download the app visit thesculptsociety.com.
Verity hits cinemas worldwide October 2.
