Photo Credit: Caio | Pexels
With the weather warming up and your big day on the horizon, what better way to prepare than by showing yourself some self-love in the form of exercise? Boost your confidence and become the best version of yourself with fitness expert Sarah Bowmar’s workout tips and tricks. Between building solid cardio habits and learning techniques for creating your perfect wedding dress arms, there’ve never been more reasons to sweat before the big day arrives. Here are some steps you can start taking today.
Start Small
Before diving headfirst into an intense workout regimen, it’s essential to remember that good things take time. When determining the best plan for you, start with small increments of exercise and gradually increase the intensity to higher levels. This strategy will help you avoid overexertion and muscle overload. Rome was not built in a day!
An essential part of sculpting and toning is cardio. Hitting 10,000 steps a day is a wildly popular goal for good reason, although it may not be attainable for those planning a wedding or working a day job. Bowmar recommends a five-week plan to work up to your step goal and exceed it, referring to this plan as “habit stacking.” The following strategy will help you reach 5,000 steps per day within the first two weeks, and each subsequent week will build upon this foundation.
Here are some of Bowmar’s tips to attain your step goal:
- Park farther away and opt for the stairs: These seemingly small adjustments make a significant difference in the long run.
- Take up some new hobbies: Many hobbies can help you reach your step goal, including pickleball, line dancing, and even gardening.
- Pick something to watch or listen to while you walk: Fun distractions will keep you moving for longer periods, so queue up a podcast or an energetic playlist for a long outdoor walk or your current binge series or favorite movie for a session on the treadmill.
- Take breaks throughout the day: During the workday or while planning your wedding, take breaks and go for a walk around the block. In just a short 10-minute span, you can get in a couple hundred steps and relieve some stress!
Build Your Core and Carry Your Vows
A toned upper body offers many benefits for the most photographed day of your life, like maintaining a strong posture for photos, having the stamina to hold up your heavy bouquet all day, and storing enough energy to bust a move on the dance floor late into the evening.
Arms That Say “Yes”
Dresses come in a variety of styles, but very few of them don’t showcase your arms! To prime them for your special day, Bowmar suggests an easy 7 x 7 x 7 “Tank Top Arm” routine. This series can be incorporated into any day, whether you need a quick break from the laptop or some new reps to add to your gym routine.
Within 6 to 8 weeks, you will notice minor changes in the appearance of your arms, and by 12 weeks, distinctive changes will be visible.
7 x 7 x 7 Arm Workout: Repeat the following exercises 7 times for the best burn:
- 7 bicep curls
- 7 behind-the-back bicep curls
- 7 tricep kickbacks
- 7 dumbbell concentration curls
- 7 preacher plate curls
- 7 dips
- 7 tricep band extensions
Photo Credit: Scott Webb | Pexels
Back in Action
Toning your back plays a vital role in overall health and well-being, as it promotes spinal stability. It also plays a crucial role when you are walking down the aisle. Especially if you’ve chosen a low-back or backless dress, why not show off your muscles from your ceremony through your reception?
Here, Bowmar has put together a quick back-focused workout set to help you stand up with confidence:
- 5 x 15 lat pull downs
- 8 x 8 (each side) kettlebell rows
- 5 x 12: right, left, together (equals 1 rep)
- 100 banded hypers (broken into 10–15 reps at a time)
Abs-olutely Fabulous
Many people dream of having a six-pack or taking a few inches off their waist. Still, even without such dramatic results, core exercises are essential to maintaining stability and balancing your whole body. On your wedding day, you want to ensure an upright posture for all photo opportunities that come your way.
Bowmar’s recommended abs series (do 5 sets of 15 reps of each move) includes:
- Standard crunches
- Leg extensions with an upper-body twist
- Single toe taps
- Bird dogs
- Ball tucks
Are You Ready?
The journey to building your ideal self may seem daunting at first, but the key is to take small steps toward your full potential. Starting with your step goal and toning your upper body are just a few pieces of the puzzle. To be your best self on your wedding day, be sure to take care of your mental and emotional health too by giving yourself plenty of rest, sleep, and nutritious food.
To learn more about different workout plans and healthy eating tips, visit Sarah Bowmar’s website.