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As a Personal Trainer for brides-to-be, I often get
asked the same wedding fitness questions over and
over again. Brides (and grooms) usually are looking
for simple and easy ways to get in better shape for
their special day.
While there aren’t any quick-fix overnight
shape-up plans, armed with the right knowledge and
techniques anyone can improve their appearance in
time for their wedding day. Here are the most common
questions along with answers to help you get more
fit in time for your nuptials.
My wedding is next month, how can I drop 20 pounds?
Bottom line – you really can’t. This
answer doesn’t get a lot of cheers, but it’s
the realistic truth. In a month’s time the
most you typically can expect to lose is about 8
pounds. If you try unhealthy, starvation-type diets
you might be able to lose more than that. But, the
truth is that those extra pounds probably won’t
make you look a whole lot better. That’s because
if you lose that much weight in such a short period
of time then you just lose water and muscle weight
primarily – not fat! You’d be better
off losing the 8 pounds in a healthy way that includes
increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat. This type
of weight loss will actually improve your appearance.
Plus, with the drastic 20-pound loss, you are putting
yourself at risk for illness not to mention making
yourself look sickly for your precious wedding photographs.
With all the wedding planning, I don’t
have a single minute to workout. What can I do?
While wedding planning can make anyone’s life
a little crazy, it’s important not to lose
sight of the importance of regular exercise. Decreasing
your usual weekly fitness regimen is fine, but don’t
completely forgo it. Try to fit in even just 20 minutes
three times per week. And, don’t feel limited
to traditional workouts. You can incorporate your
wedding planning and workouts together. For example,
enroll your fiancé and yourself in weekly
dance lessons. You’ll wow your reception guests
with your dance steps plus benefit from the exercise
you get during each lesson.
How can I get my upper body more defined looking
for my wedding day?
You can’t spot reduce. So, if you have a lot
of fat in that area, you will first need to reduce
it. In basic terms, this is done by burning more
calories than you consume. So, you need to participate
in a healthy fitness program that includes cardio,
strength training, flexibility and good nutrition.
Once you have decreased the fat, then you can concentrate
on strengthening the muscle groups in your upper
body. You can do this with dumbbells, resistance
bands or weight machines. Choose 1-2 exercises for
each major muscle group and perform 8-12 reps and
repeat with 1-2 sets. With a good, targeted strength
program you could even see results within four weeks.
I really want to get in-shape for my wedding,
but I just don’t have any willpower. How
can I make myself exercise?
Find a program or a workout-buddy that will help
provide you with motivation, encouragement and accountability.
Your fiancé is a great first choice. But,
you could also enlist the help of a member of the
bridal party or your mother. Another great option
is working with a fitness professional. The fitness
pro can create an individual program for you or one
designed for you and your workout-buddy. Plus, being
accountable to a stranger can be much more motivating.
After all, your buddy may fear offending you when
remarking about a missed workout session.
Our honeymoon is at a beach. How can I get firmer
abs and butt for my swimsuit?
As mentioned above, you can’t spot reduce and
you need to take a comprehensive approach to shaping-up.
With that said, be sure to include exercises that
strengthen and tone those particular areas. For a
very challenging abdominal workout, try exercises
with a stability ball. There are also many great
leg/butt exercises that you can do with the ball.
But, plain-old squats and lunges are also effective.
For a comprehensive customized bridal workout program,
visit WorkoutsForYou.com.
Written by Lynn Bode, owner of WorkoutsForYou.com.
WorkoutsForYou.com helps brides get fit for their
wedding day through affordable online exercise programs
that fit into their busy schedules. Programs are
completely personalized to each individual.
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