6 Health and Wellness Ideas Leading Up To Your Wedding Day
In 2012, I received by Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) from Liberty University. Over the years, I’ve studied under master strength coaches and trained at various gyms, most notably Gold’s Gym and Lifetime Athletic. During that time I worked with various clients to help them get into the best shape of their lives. One of the most recurring clients was the Bride and Groom. In this blog I want to hit on a few tips to help you feel the best in your wedding dresses and tuxedos.
1. Start
Every New Year people join the gym with resolutions of getting in shape. Some people would see the newcomers and say, “They won’t be here long.” When I saw new people joining I saw the next winners. Everyone says they're going to start on Monday or next month or next year and they never do it because life gets in the way. Starting the journey is the first key to getting success in your health and fitness. Make a commitment to each other to go through the journey together and see it through. Come wedding day you'll feel the best you've ever felt! Start!
2. Make Small Changes In Your Diet
80% of your health benefits come from what you eat. You don’t have to go cold turkey from all your favorite foods in order to get results, but you may have to skip out on some of the treats they lay out at the office. You want to gradually introduce foods into your daily diet to help you get to your end goal. I don’t want to turn you into calorie counting machines in this blog (maybe later), but for now with each of your meals just add a healthy option to your plate. Every week add something else and take off something unhealthy. Eventually, you’ll have a plate full of healthy choices and this is sure to help you feel great from the inside out!
3. Get Your Body Moving
Cardio exercise can come in many different forms. From a walk outdoors enjoying the scenery to an exhilarating dance class in the comfort of your own home. There’s so many ways to get you heart rate going and blood flowing. This will help you shed a little weight if needed but also help you both feel good during that first dance and all the other dancing you all will be doing throughout the night!
4. Lift Weights
Though cardio is great, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t help you tone up. In comes the weight lifting! Ladies don’t be afraid of lifting a little weights. Trust me, you won’t “bulk up” and end up looking too muscular. You don’t have to go crazy with this one but its best to get some resistance training into your routine to help you trim and tone if that’s what your goal is. I recommend starting out with light weights whether at home or in the gym and change up the routine every month. Not only will you feel good but you’ll both look amazing!
5. Stress Management and Rest
Out of everything I’ve went over so far this may be the most difficult but most important. I still have a hard time myself putting my work down and getting proper rest. There is so much involved in this, I could write a whole blog on this section alone. As you may know resting allows your body to recover in more ways that just feeling or looking tired. Since we’re adding all this exercise to your daily routine, for your muscles to grow properly, resting is key to getting the full benefits. I want to hit on Cortisol as it can single-handedly hold you back from getting the results you want in so many ways.
This is a stress hormone responsible for fight or flight response. It’s released when your body feels there’s an immediate threat it needs to take care of. It will break down tissue, shut down your immune system and spike blood sugar to provide energy to fight. If this is happening for too long you can imagine this can have huge repercussions. When not regulated properly cortisol can affect your sleep and keep you up or wake you up in the middle of the night. Exercise and diet have a direct impact on cortisol, so investigate what works best for your body.
Outside of getting proper sleep a few things you all could do is couples meditation classes or take a mini vacation or try going out on some dates. These things can for sure help you to take your mind off of the wedding planning and lower stress. All in all, we want you to look your absolute best and not feel tired before you say “I do!”
6. Create a Plan for Success
If you feel like you’re not getting any results you want from the exercise routine, change it up a little sooner than one month. Everyone is different and can require different nutrition and fitness plans than the next person. That’s okay! You can most definitely get to where you want to be with a little bit of discipline and planning. Maybe you need to plan out your meals for the week or do a food sensitivity test. Maybe you need to find a workout plan or class that works best with your schedule. Proper planning will help you get into that routine to help you look and feel great!
I hope these tips help you feel empowered and knowledgeable. We want you to have the energy to dance the night away with each other and enjoy the company of your family and friends. Ultimately, we want you to look amazing in your photos and videos on your wedding day!
