Physical preparation for the wedding day
wedding day success
How to shape the perfect wedding figure
Every bride strives to look her best on her wedding day. The dress, hair, nails and makeup combine to create a beautiful image. But these days, one aspect has become increasingly important to those who walk down the aisle: the body! Achieving a healthy, slim and defined figure has become an ingredient of the wedding day that many brides consider non-negotiable. But how can a bride achieve the perfect body for her wedding day?
The first thing to consider is time. Obviously, the more time you have before the big day, the greater the transformation possible and the less stressful it will be to achieve a facelift. Ideally, the bride-to-be should consider starting a lifestyle and exercise program 3-6 months before the wedding, as this will allow for a healthy transition that can be maintained long after the big day has passed. If a bride finds herself at just 6 weeks, it’s certainly not a time to panic. All hope is not lost, but the bride must realize that drastic fitness and eating routines are not the way to go.
In order for the bride to start a successful fitness routine, she needs to combine cardio with resistance training. The two go hand in hand when it comes to achieving a lean and defined figure. When combined with a smart eating plan, these training methods will promote a daily caloric deficit (the body burns more calories than it takes in) and therefore weight loss. While cardiovascular training causes the use of calories for energy during exercise, resistance training will encourage the development of lean muscle tissue and therefore improve calorie burning when the body is at rest. What more could a bride want than to burn calories while she’s sitting down!
It’s also important to consider the specific areas of the body you want to target. For most brides, the areas of the body that will command attention on the big day are the shoulders, arms, and back. Resistance training (when the muscles of the body are trained by applying resistance to a movement) is immensely beneficial in improving these areas and will allow the bride to tone and define without gaining unwanted bulk. Resistance training methods include using your own body weight, elastic bands, weight machines, and dumbbells.
Using free weights as a form of resistance training is particularly effective because both sides of your body have to work equally hard, whereas with most weight machines, the stronger side of your body will dominate and do the work. on the weaker side. Building both sides of the body together gives you a more balanced look, a definite plus when wearing your dress. Adjustable free weights are also great because they tend to be inexpensive, portable, and take up little space so you can complete your workouts in the comfort of your own home. But, brides-to-be, remember that whether you use weight machines or free weights, proper technique is essential to achieving the results you want and avoiding injury. Incorporating the help of a personal trainer will guarantee your safety in this regard.
Ladies take note: When targeting particular parts of the body, keep in mind that spot reduction simply isn’t possible. Spot reduction is the idea that if you work a specific muscle group, you will decrease the amount of fat in that area. The abs are a great example. Many people perform hundreds of crunches daily and don’t know why that layer of stubborn fat isn’t moving. The reason for this is simple: a muscle does not own the fat that surrounds it. Crunches, for example, will strengthen the abdominal muscles but will not remove the layer of fat that covers the muscles. As mentioned above, a combination of cardio and resistance training is essential and will allow the bride to lose fat anywhere on the body, including problem areas.
While the upper part of the body is exposed, the midsection is usually hidden under the beautiful dress. This does not mean that you should forget about everything. Otherwise! The most common occasion after the wedding is the honeymoon and who wants more than being able to put on their bikini and expose a strong and lean stomach. We have already discussed the importance of cardio and resistance to reduce fat and therefore decrease weight in the intestinal area. When it comes to actual core strengthening, it’s important to remember quality over quantity. A common mistake that most make when working their core (upper and lower abs and back muscles) is to perform numerous repetitions of a single exercise, say 100 sit-ups. Here’s an inside tip, to build abs, an exercise should be hard enough that you can’t perform more than 8-12 reps. That’s how it is! Only from 8 to 12! For detailed information on the best exercises to tone your midsection, visit www.fitsquad.ca for free video demonstrations.
Regardless of the exercise routine followed, ultimate success will only occur when a proper eating plan is established. This will not only help to lose extra pounds, but also improve the condition of the skin, nails and teeth. Foods to avoid include anything white (white sugar, flour, pasta) because they have been refined to the point where they provide little to no nutritional value. Also, many of these foods trigger insulin responses in the body that cause glucose to be stored as glycogen in the muscles, when muscle stores are full fat cells will absorb the glucose and store it as fat, something we don’t look for when getting ready for a wedding! While this may sound like obvious advice, it bears repeating that fried foods and other sweets loaded with trans fat will put you on the fast track to weight gain. Foods to load include green leafy vegetables and plants (these have some of the best nutritional profiles of all foods), good sources of protein (for example, quinoa, beans, hemp hearts, fish, lean cuts of meat), healthy oils (the ones that contain monounsaturated fats, omega 3 fats and omega 6 fats) and, of course, fruit. Don’t forget, water is the source of all life! Drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day and limit your intake of coffee, alcohol and any sugary drinks. Also, if possible, avoid eating 2 hours before bed. Your body is ready to heal and repair itself, and any energy you take in will likely be absorbed and stored.
Brides-to-be, please remember that last-minute radical fasting plans shake up the body and can lead to digestive problems, skin conditions, and a host of other issues. Avoid at all costs! Also, rest is vital when participating in an exercise program. Although exercise provides great stress relief, overtraining can lead to burnout and injury, and can end up adding more stress to a bride’s already demanding life. Lastly, while they can be expensive, many brides have found that they have been transformed in a relatively short space of time by incorporating the help of a personal trainer. If you can find a way to fit this into her budget, you can almost guarantee success in reaching her fitness goals. You’re starting a new chapter in your life, so walk in with style!
