Pre Wedding Fitness
Many couples, particularly the bride, hope to drop a kilo or two by their wedding day or at least tone up. It’s only natural to want to look your very best on one of the most important days of your life.
If you plan a healthy fitness regime and stick to it, there’s no reason why you can’t be looking better than ever on your big day.
Looking Fit & Fabulous on your Wedding Day
There’s no point starting a fitness plan just a month before your wedding. You’ll need a good three to six months to see real results. Plus, you’ll need to start off small and work your way up. Many fitness specialists also offer bridal packages, so you can work out the best strategy together in the lead-up to your big day.
Getting Started with Pre-Wedding Fitness
Not sure how much exercise you’ll need to do? Fitness experts advise 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to five times a week and 20 to 30 minutes of strength training two to three times a week is a good rule of thumb. But, first start at about 15 minutes, three times a week, and gradually build up.
With cardio, there’s an array of activities to choose from, including swimming, cycling, walking and running. What you opt for depends on your personal preferences and the areas of your body you want to tone up. Swimming, for example, does wonders for the upper and lower body, while dancing can get your abs, highs, thighs and butt moving.
For strength training, invest in some hand weights or head to your local gym. Bicep curls and tricep dips, using hand weights, are a great way to tone up your arms and back.
Lacking in the motivation stakes – or just don’t like exercising alone? Then, there are always personal training sessions or social sports. Exercise classes, like Pilates, yoga and boot camp, also mean you’re not perspiring on your own.
There’s also incidental exercise in between – taking the stairs at work instead of the lift and walking to the shops, rather than getting behind the wheel.
Healthy Diet for Weight Loss
You’ll need to combine your fitness regime with a healthy eating plan to look your absolute best. Opt for a diet high in protein (such as lean meats, cheese and legumes) and low in saturated fat (butter, chocolate and convenience foods).
Upping your fruit and vegetable intake helps and it’s also a good idea to keep up your fluid intake by downing at least six glasses of water a day. Plenty of water and a healthy diet will also ensure that your skin is looking its best on the day.
Things to cut down on? Salt, alcohol, coffee, fried food (opt for grilling and boiling), white bread and rice (instead use the brown varieties) and big portions (meat, for example, should be the size of the palm of your hand).
The important thing though is having a sound nutritional plan. You should never starve yourself or skip meals to fit into your bridal outfit. This will not help in the long run. Stick to enjoying three nutritional meals a day, with light snacks on hand (such as Vegemite crackers), to keep up energy levels. It will be your best bet in cutting a fine figure down the aisle.
Set Realistic Goals
You’ll only end up disappointing yourself if you set unrealistic weight loss goals in the lead up to your wedding. A healthy, long term plan is the way to go – rather than a six-week detox or starvation plan that doesn’t end up working.
