A Comprehensive Guide To Fit Into The Wedding Dress Of Your Dreams

When it comes to your wedding, everything has to be perfect. Whether its a grand affair with everyone you know in attendance, or a quaint gathering of the people closest to you, the celebration of your union with your soulmate is not complete without you turned out in the wedding dress of your dreams. And to fit into that dream dress, you have to have the right physique and level of fitness.

Which is why, we’re here with a carefully planned fitness and diet regime for you to become fitter and healthier before beginning this new chapter in your life. We’re here with the plans drawn up by three experts on Urban Company for improving your fitness in the run up to your wedding. Read on for the details.

1. Parn Shishir Banerjee, Fitness Instructor

Let’s face it, every bride wants to be “lehenga ready” and every groom needs that tapered V-shaped physique with broad shoulders filling in his sherwani. But training a client for a wedding is a tricky situation. As Parn says, “We usually have 3-4 months max and that is not enough to play the slow game of upping metabolism by building lean mass first.  On top of it, there are many other errands to be done for an Indian wedding which often leads the highly stressed brides and grooms with limited time to workout.” Here are a couple of things that Parn focuses on at Psi Fitness to make the best out of the situation:

Setting Realistic Expectations

No, you are not going to drop 10 kilos before your wedding, there’s only 4 weeks left.

While it is high time to give your best to look your best at the wedding, people often go overboard with unrealistic expectations. Indeed, you should have a hard routine but that doesn’t mean you kill yourself to injuries, wake up at 4 AM to workout or eat only 1000 calories just because “you only get married once!” (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai reference, anyone?). No one would want to see a bride fainting or a groom limping during pheras. Simply, cut 20% at max from what you usually eat on a daily basis and workout when it is most convenient for you.

Choosing the Right Routine

Since time is of the essence here, it is best to focus on full body exercises to get the lean look while burning a lot of calories in the process. Rather than relying on walking/jogging only or using isolated movements like bicep curls, leg extensions or calf raises, focus on super setting squats and pushups, rows and lunges to get blood pumping throughout the body or if you have access to a good facility like ours; do Wall Balls, Battle Rope Double Slams, Med Ball Throws, Kettlebell Swings. These are exercises primarily done for more than 20 reps each set for 3-4 sets done one after the other. This will leave you panting while working your muscles for strength and endurance.

You can do this type of a routine 4 days a week combined with walking/light jogging/swimming on your off days if you have time. This is where a good trainer comes into play because he can ensure you don’t lose out on days with a backache or an elbow sprain with bad form. And as Parn sums up – “But of course, you guys are smart. You can always hire one at Urban Company!”

Also Read: 5 Reasons Why You Should Exercise With Your Valentine

2. Ashwini Kumar, Yoga Instructor

• Suryanamaskar: When you’re pressed for time and looking for a simple mantra to stay fit, performing Suryanamaskar daily is the answer. A sequence of 12 powerful yoga asanas that provide a good cardiovascular workout, Surya Namaskars are a good way to keep the body in shape and the mind calm and healthy.
• Pranayam: Pranayama or breathing exercises can be a great way to start your day. It has a multitude of benefits such as improving blood circulation, clearing blocked blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, reducing breathing rate and weight loss by reduction of appetite.
• Vrischik Asana: Also known as the scorpion pose, this asana aids in maximizing wellness, lends strength to the muscles of your hands and arms and improves the balance of your body. As the asana requires you to balance your entire body on your hands, the muscles of the wrists and palms are strengthened a lot.  This asana provides extra flexibility and elasticity to your spine and belly and helps in shaping your body posture or figure.
• Nauli Kriya: Nauli or Nauli Kriya is an abdominal massage technique in Hatha Yoga with tremendous benefits. Nauli practitioners can maintain good health and vitality. But mastering this technique is not easy for beginners and you should only learn or attempt this under the supervision of a trained Yoga instructor. It is a powerful technique which massages all the organs in the abdomen – the stomach, the liver, spleen, urinary bladder, pancreas, gall bladder and the intestines and reduces belly fat.

While Yoga is usually perceived a benign form of exercise, it can be harmful if undertaken without adequate knowledge or practice, especially in a high-intensity workout before your wedding. If you know what you’re about, go ahead and welcome peace and health in your life. But if not, hire a Yoga instructor and give it a go. If you hire someone through Urban Company, you have the option of a free trial class so that you can find the instructor that truly suits your needs. Go ahead – learn Yoga at home today or join Yoga classes near you, because as Ashwini says “Its a good habit to hold on to 🙂 “.

3. Priyatama Srivastava, Nutritionist 

• Increase intake of complex hydrates which is a diet of carbohydrates along with intake of food rich in fiber (fruits and vegetables).
• Lower the quantity of salt and oil (use extra virgin oil instead for cooking).
• Increase intake of milk protein and animal protein (chicken, fish, egg).
• Have at least 8-10 glasses of water, start your day two teaspoons of honey and a whole lemon juice mixed in 500 ml of warm water.
• Have a glass of warm milk, mixed with almonds and a little haldi every morning with breakfast. Avoid the intake of milk in the night. Have more of dark leafy veggies.

While the above plan applies to most people, if suffer from diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, hyper or hypothyroidism; it is better to contact a professional nutritionist to get a customized nutrition plan drawn up to suit your needs.

There you have it. Whether its working out, practicing Yoga, controlling your diet or a combination of all three – we’re here to help you out with your fitness routine before your big day. So, leave the worries to us and focus on shining on your wedding day, because we promise that with us by your side, it’ll be the stuff of your dreams.