Make exercise a must when wedding planning.

There are many reasons why exercise is good for you. We all hear on a regular basis how we should exercise regularly to improve general health and to assist in our crusade to lose weight however, there may be a few reasons you haven’t considered when making the decision on whether to incorporate it into your already busy life.

Wedding planning can be tough on the best of us. Filling all of your spare time with internet searches, supplier meetings, invitation writing and much much more. Next time you have a spare 30 minutes in your week that you are dreading spending glued to Pinterest, think about this -

Lower your anxiety and give you brain a rest –

So, all you’ve been thinking about recently is wedding plans, work life, juggling children’s activities and whatever else you have going on in your life. Your brain is in overdrive to the point where you lay awake at night worrying it you’ve done everything or waking up in the morning with a list of things to add to your days program. I know it seems odd to give up what little free time you have but you need to take time back. I promise by putting everything down, even for 30 minutes to exercise you’ll feel refreshed and ready to attack whatever’s next on your list. When exercising your body releases hormones called endorphins. As your level of endorphins increase, your feelings of worry start to diminish. You’ll feel refreshed and re-energised, raring to attack anything that’s thrown your way expected or not, with less stress and with a far more organised head.

When working in the wedding planning industry I find this one of the most important elements to my week. I produce my best work when I have taken time out to clear my head. Whilst running or exercising I can regroup and use the creative side of my brain without letting influences of the commercial world cloud my judgement.

Are you confused about what colour scheme you like, what meal to provide, what style of venue do you want or any one of the major decisions that comes with planning a wedding? Are you overwhelmed by how much you still have left to do?

Take time out, regroup and I promise it will all seem clearer when you’re done.

Weight loss –

This is the one that everyone knows about and let’s be honest, 90% of brides and probably grooms are concerned about in the run up to their wedding.

It’s simple, by introducing regular exercise you will be burning more calories. Now burn more than you consume and you will naturally shed some pounds. HOWEVER, if weight loss is key in your wedding planning be aware of a few things. YES! THE SCALES DO LIE!

The amount of times I speak to people and they say “I have been eating healthily and exercising but I’ve only lost *lbs”. Obviously it is important to lose weight, especially if you are carrying excess; however, take your measurements. Look in the mirror. Does it matter to you if you’ve lost 10lb or that you can fit in your dress? Quite often by introducing an exercise program your shape will change before you lose weight. Don’t be disheartened by this after you’ve put so much work in.

Has anyone ever approached you on the street and said, “how much do you weigh?” In my experience no, so I’m not sure why we get so hung up on it. Do you feel good because you’ve dropped a dress size? Yes! And that is what counts.

Boosts Energy -

We all want a bit more energy. Life is so crazy and how do we fit everything into the time we have. By the end of the day we are physically and mentally exhausted and those evening hours are a struggle.

When exercise is part of your weekly routine your body will begin to function more efficiently, you’ll feel fewer aches and pains, have greater strength and the oxygen will be fueling the cells around your body much quicker and easier. Because of all these benfits you can go about your daily activities feeling less fatigued, stressed, and weary.

Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t exercise at all and begin to add a program into your week you may feel a little tired to begin. Purely because it’s a shock to your system, it won’t take long for your body to catch up with your mind and soon enough you’ll start to see the energy increase benefits. You’ll be physically more able so will mentally want to do more.

Better sleep -

You should avoid exercising straight before bed. You need time to calm down and let hormone levels return to normal before trying to sleep.

However, it’s proven that exercising during the day has a positive effect on your ability to fall asleep and will increase your quality of sleep through the night. By engaging in physical exertion during the day we help our body’s circadian rhythm stay in tune. This is what controls ours bodies subconscious understanding of day and night. That wonderful thing all of us with children will understand all too well when teaching a baby to sleep.

Finally sleeping better at night also improves your immune functioning and even lowers your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and has many other health benefits so it’s definitely a win-win for sure!

Enjoyment –

The thought being out of breath or pushing your body physically to new limits may scare you now or you may think there’s no way I’m going to enjoy this. But you never know until you try.

Find a buddy, maybe a bridesmaid or family member who is on the same mission as you to look and feel great at your wedding.

Even find a form of exercise that you and your partner may enjoy together, I know after reading that sentence what most of you are thinking and actually you’re not far wrong. Exercising has been proven to have a positive effect on your sex life. With more muscle mass comes a greater stimulation to produce androgens which help both men and women maintain healthy sexual functioning, not to mention with improved fitness comes increased levels of stamina!

You may find a gym that has classes or a specific work out that suits you. Learn to dance, play a sport or if you’re happier at home try some work out videos until you’re confident enough to work out in public, just see which works best for you.

If you are an exercise novice then before you commit to a new exercise routine I’d advise you get checked medically by either a health professional, a qualified gym instructor or personal trainer. Never push yourself past what you think you can do and always stop if you feel dizzy, out of breath (to the point where you’re struggling to breath not simply breathless due to exertion), in pain, you experience chest pains, you get cramp or you simply don’t feel right. Listen to your body, follow its lead.

For weight loss purposes or for improvement to your fitness level you should look at exercising most days, making sure you include a rest day. however to see some of the benefits above simply getting it in where you can will make all the difference. Start small, think big.

As a qualified gym instructor and nutritional advisor, I like to offer my clients help where I can with improving physical health and wellbeing. If you’d like to know more about my services please contact me #tayloredweddings #tayloredweddingplanner