Congratulations! You’re engaged.
What should be an exciting time can often be one of the most stressful times in your life with the planning, the financial commitments, the merging of two households and so much more. While you want to look your best on your big day, the stressors and hectic schedule leading up to it often cause the bride and the groom to ditch the diet and abandon their fitness routine.
I’ve come up with the “I Do” plan.
The first and easiest adjustment to make is to INCORPORATE more water into your daily life. Drinking water keeps your cells nourished and aids in the overall appearance of your skin, hair and nails. In addition, staying super hydrated helps you feel fuller faster to avoid stress eating and superfluous snacking.
Step two is to DEDICATE one hour a day to yourself. As a fitness professional, I highly recommend doing something physical with that hour. Meditate, work out or take a walk to get away from the wedding prep stress. The physical activity will not only help keep extra pounds at bay, it may help you lose a few, too.
The final step is to OPT for homemade. Meal prep is extremely popular and will keep your healthy eating on track. Since time is spread thin during the wedding preparation period, having a grab-and-go meal alleviates the stress of cooking dinner and frees up time for wedding-related activities. If you don’t love the idea of meal prep, embrace the idea of taking 15 minutes to plan one week’s worth of dinners and a shopping list. Streamlining the process will save valuable time.
As a trainer, brides and grooms often ask me to help them lose weight, get toned or even bulk up for their upcoming nuptials. I love helping happy couples look and feel their best, but I encourage them to put in the work at least 30 days before their wedding. You don’t want to limp down the aisle or be too sore to enjoy dancing at your own reception. Start early – six months or more prior to your wedding – and be realistic in what you can accomplish.
Wedding Workout Exercises For All Fitness Levels
Warm up with jumping jacks. How many can you do in 2 minutes?
Squats to tone the tushy: Two sets of 25. Want to take it to the next level? Add a weight to it.
Lunges: Two sets of 30. These good for your rear and legs. Take your lunge down as far as you can to the floor.
Plank Plus: Two sets of 20. These are great for abs and stomach. Start in standard plank position and touch your right knee to the floor and bring it back up. Tap your left knee to the floor, then bring it up. Repeat.
Criss Cross Crunch: Two sets of 25. Instead of doing a standard crunch, touch your right elbow to your left knee. Then touch your left elbow to your right knee. Repeat.
Cool down with a 10-minute walk.
About the Author
Damien Priester is a certified fitness coach and owner of House of Sweat. He works with people of all ages and fitness levels to help them achieve their goals. As a speaker, trainer, instructor and healthy living expert, he has been featured at hundreds of conventions, expos, classes and corporate events.