How to stay fit for your upcoming wedding
It can be an unexpected hitch in a couple's wedding plans.
A bridegroom is measured for his tuxedo; a bride has a final fitting for her gown. But between then and the wedding date, there are too many celebratory dinners and cake tastings. The happy prospective couple packs on a few pounds and inches.
But, with enough lead time, expensive alterations can be avoided if the bride and groom hit the gym, according Butler County YMCA living directors and personal trainers.
But first, shed a few misconceptions before you start shedding pounds, said Kathy Hensler, the healthy living director at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA, 2001 Ehrman Road, Cranberry Township.
“You can't spot reduce. There is no program just to fit in a wedding dress. You have to embrace a new lifestyle,” Hensler said.
“Ask yourself where do you see yourself on your wedding. I don't want to make it about their looks. Trying to lose 30 pounds in three weeks is not a healthy lifestyle,” she said.
“Two months before the wedding would be the bare minimum,” needed to take off a few inches or pounds, said Aaron Hochman, the healthy living director at the Butler YMCA, 339 N. Washington St.
Hensler recommends the TRX system of exercise.
“I can honestly say to you, TRX is a full-body workout for those with limited time,” she said.
“In a half-hour, you get a full body workout that addresses all the muscle groups. It's like an hour class with a weighted bar,'' she said.
According to Hensler, the TRX, or total resistance exercise system, refers to a specialized form of suspension training that uses body weight exercises to develop strength, flexibility and cores strength.
It requires the use of a performance training tool that uses gravity and the users' body weight to complete the exercises, Hensler said.
Hochman said, “It's kind of tough to pick an exercise. It depends on the person: Are they active?
“To get ready for a wedding, I would recommend interval training,” he said. “One day, high-intensity movements, really getting the heart rate up. The next day, low-intensity core exercises.”“You want to work as hard as you can as long as you can,” said Hochman. “Stair climbers, burpees, jump rope, high bursts of energy.”“For example, one day for 30 minutes, you complete a circuit of six exercises, 30 seconds at a time,” he said.“Rest a minute, then go through them all again for five times. The next day, be on the treadmill for 40 minutes on jog or walk recovery ranges,” Hochman said.Erin Nicotra, a personal trainer at the Schneider YMCA, recommends the tred shed small group training for runners looking to improve speed or for non-runners looking to take their cardio workout to the next level.Nicotra said, “Regardless of which group you may fall into the goals are actually the same: by improving aerobic base and anaerobic capacity the 'runner' will become faster and more efficient and the 'non-runner' will begin to find him or herself busting through plateaus from a cardio and weight loss perspective.“The trainer will track the participant's progress and teach him or her how to use the treadmill as a valuable tool to monitor exertion levels. This class also includes strength training with a core focus,” Nicotra said.And even if you are into an exercise program, if your diet is bad it is not going to matter,” Hochman added.Hensler said, “In addition to the 11 certified personal trainers, our Y also has a registered dietitian, Christine Sweeney, on staff that is available to help members.”She added, “At the Rose Family YMCA, we feel we are more than just a gym, and our personal trainers are more than just trainers, they are coaches, teachers, role models, and leaders in fitness.”
