Looking to make a change and feel your very best in time for the wedding day? Ailish Fleming, Personal Trainer at SIX3NINE, shares her top tips…
Feeling your best on your wedding day ultimately comes down to feeling good in yourself. Exercise has a positive impact in so many ways. Improving our confidence, strength, mood and general wellbeing. Whatever your shape, doing regular exercise will help you feel fantastic in it. Here are a few tips to get you going.
Give yourself time.
6 months is a good ballpark but you might need more or less depending on your goal. Bear in mind it usually takes 12 weeks to see any real changes. Plan around your dress fittings and if possible schedule one a week or two before the big day so any last minute adjustments can be made.
Go steady
It’s common to want to go in all guns blazing but you run the risk of burning out pretty quickly. Introduce two to three new habits at a time and let yourself adjust. You can always make tweaks further down the line if you need to. Punishing yourself to fit into your clothes should never be the purpose of your training or what you eat.
Do what you enjoy
This is the best way to ensure you stick with training. There are so many ways to exercise that don’t include a treadmill, a bootcamp or even the gym. Kickboxing, pole dance, spin, swimming, the options are many! Alternating between resistance training, using your bodyweight or weights, and cardiovascular exercise is a winning formula. Be sure you vary the intensity of your sessions and give yourself at least one day off. Going all out all the time will leave you feeling flat, tired and with no energy for your training… or for wedding planning!
Get help
Whether you recruit a friend, join a regular class or get some PT sessions. A trainer or class instructor removes the stress of decision making and keeps you accountable.
Keep it simple
Eat a variety of foods and try to have vegetables at most meals. Balance your meals to include fat, carbohydrate and protein, ensuring you include some protein around your training sessions to support your muscles with recovery. Don’t eat foods you hate or cut out everything you love but do manage your portion sizes. A Freddo a day keeps stress at bay!
Finally
Stay hydrated and try to get 7-9 hours sleep most nights. It’s usually the simple things we overlook but regular exercise, enough sleep and balancing our vegetables with our vino are the most effective ways to ensure we feel good, look good and are happy in ourselves. Get those right most of the time to feel fantastic on the big day.
