Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Body Part 2

Last week, I shared part 1 of a 3-part Wedding Wednesday mini series all about my “wedding body.” I spilled on how Kelly LeVeque has helped me change my diet, which has quiet honestly changed my entire outlook on food and changed the way I feel inside and out. This week, I’m filling y’all in on my workouts and the little things I do to ensure I will feel my absolute best on my big day. So, keep reading to get the scoop on all things Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Body Part 2…!

P.S. stay tuned for part 3 all about skincare!

Leggings (also love this stripe version) / Pullover Jacket (also love this solid navy version) / Sports Bra (also love this crop version) / Tennis Shoes (Nike “Air Zoom Pegasus)

First, a little bit about my workout clothes. Y’all know that I’m a super duper huge J.Crew lover. However, when they came out with their workout line I didn’t jump on the bandwagon. I love my Lululemon and Outdoor Voices workout clothes so I thought I was pretty covered in that department. However, I got a J.Crew gift card from one of my students at the end of the last school year and decided to use it to give the workout clothes a try. I’m so happy I did because I seriously love what I got! The leggings are thick and really good quality. I have the high-waisted leggings but I also love these crop leggings, these full length leggings, these color block leggings, and these stripe leggings too. I’ve gotten a ton of wear out of my stripe pullover too (also comes in navy)! I even wore it fishing here! The sports bra is great too. I’m super tempted to snag the crop sports bra as well! I’ve also been a longtime lover of Nike’s Pegasus shoes… they are the best for running.

To accomplish my ideal wedding body, I’m taking fitness into account in a big way. My biggest fitness routine that I am trying to maintain is to workout four times a week. My second biggest fitness routine that I’m trying to maintain is to diversify my workouts. I’m prioritizing diversifying my workouts in order to keep my body guessing and to keep my muscles toned all over so my body and brain don’t get used to the same routines and motions. I generally rotate my workouts around between Burn 60 (a running based workout), Soul Cycle (spinning), Pilates Platinum (megaformer pilates), CorePower or Yoga Hop (both yoga), hiking, and running outside.

Pilates has without a doubt been my biggest workout addition that I’ve added to my fitness routine. I had done pilates sporadically in the past but never completely gotten into it (mainly because it is so hard!). However, I’d heard from so many brides that the one thing that changed their body was pilates so I thought I should give it a proper go. I’m so happy I did because it gives my body such a different workout that the mostly cardio-based workouts I do. Pilates helps tone my back, arm, and shoulder muscles, aka all the areas brides like to show off in wedding dresses! I wasn’t toning these areas as much with my standard workouts of running and spinning so adding Pilates Platinum into my mix has been a game changer.

I used to be a little more casual about planning workouts, which actually proved to be very difficult with my work and blog schedule. I used to have a free 30 minutes and just slip on my tennis shoes to go for a causal run outside. I have gotten so much busier than I was when I first moved to Santa Monica, that I really need to stay accountable with my schedule and my workouts. I do this by planning them out a week ahead of time (I love my Google calendar!). If I plan and sign up for workouts a week out then they are on my calendar and part of my schedule for the week. I find that I really stick to working out this way, which is great! I also love asking a bridesmaid to sign up for a class with me because they are always game for getting ready for wedding season too!

In the summer, I take advantage of the perks of my teaching job and travel a lot. Travel can make it difficult to keep up exercise routines because, with travel, you’re so off your routine. So, my secret is a lot of advanced planning. I will research a workout studio ahead of time, like a pilates or spin studio, and sign up for a class during my trip… it’s a fun way to experience a destination too! In addition, I will think about what the location of my trip can offer and plan around it. For instance, in Colorado earlier this summer, I planned three different days of hiking. In addition, I planned an afternoon of paddle boarding because, when I did research for the trip, I discovered that it was a popular activity to do on the river that ran through Crested Butte.

In the end with my Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Body Part 2 fitness goals, I am focusing on how I want to feel. I’m a firm believer that the biggest positive affect of exercise is feeling great. I think that fitness goals, like my wedding body goals, are so much easier to achieve if your goal is focused on wanting to feel a certain way, rather than wanting to look a certain way. I feel so much happier when I exercise because I feel my best and feel strong. Looking great is an added bonus but it doesn’t top feeling great. If I fall off the bandwagon with workouts, it is always the way my body feels that drives me to sign up for a spin class, instead of the way my body looks (usually it’s that I can’t sleep or that I get an ache in my back that only moving my body will fix).