Trying to get in your best shape ever? Give wedding stress the boot with bridal bootcamp programs aimed at helping you reach your fitness goals while boosting those feel-good endorphins. 

By Emma Way

Weight-loss and toning doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a perfect combination of exercise, nutrition and motivation to meet your wedding fitness goals. Elena Possumato, of Trainer Diva in South Jersey, knows the drill all too well from dozens of bridal clients that fitness goals sometimes seem unreachable. “Life gets in the way—and I’m guilty of this too—but scheduling an hour keeps you motivated,” Possumato says. Setting aside time with a personal trainer like Possumato will help brides with weight loss and overall fitness, but what makes bootcamp programs unique is that you have someone there to motivate you. That’s something you can’t get from a basic gym membership. Possumato does in-home personal training all across the greater Philadelphia area.

For brides-to-be with busy schedules, Possumato’s bootcamp plan can make all the difference. She recommends starting a training regimen six months before your big day. Nic DeCaire of Fusion Fitness Center in Newark, Del., recommends getting your whole bridal party together to get in shape for the wedding. “There’s more accountability. You’re all going to the gym and making healthier eating choices together,” he says. For a bridal party, Fusion Fitness Center offers fitness programs for as low as $99 per person per month, depending on how often you need to see a trainer.

But before you start lifting weights and running every other day, think about your goals and the gown. “Consider the style of dress you’re going to be wearing. Strapless? Are your arms going to be bare?” Possumato says. Says DeCaire, “It’s all about the dress. Weight loss is first, and sculpting is typically second.”

At Fit, a personal fitness studio in Wilmington, Del., trainer Al Russell offers a well-rounded bootcamp plan. With 10 sessions aimed at the entire bridal party, everyone is happy. Training sessions with the bride are focused on the gown and improving  problem areas, but Fit also offers a half-hour session with a nutritionist, a private yoga session with the bridal party, a ballroom dance class, meditation and a massage for the bride on her big day. This cost starts at $640 for 10 sessions.

Russell’s approach to bridal bootcamp emphasizes meditation and relaxation to combat wedding stress and to stay motivated.

Dwayne Wimmer at Vertex Fitness in Bryn Mawr, Pa., is all about efficiency. “What I’ve found is you just don’t get the results when you’re in a group because you’re distracted,” he says, which is why he does only one-on-one training sessions. He recommends beginning a regimen at least four months before your big day. His quick sessions, focusing on strength training and getting lean, are $90 each or $750 for 10.   

Tips from the Experts

• Even if your bridal party is spread out across the country, you can still work out together. Set up a fitness challenge online with a tool such as Fitbit.
• Don’t forget to eat. Stress is so overwhelming, brides sometimes forget to eat, but making sure to get the proper nutrition is the key to enjoying your wedding.
• Strike a balance between cardio and weight-training to achieve the best results.
• Drink a large glass of water before a meal to help shed pounds and stay hydrated and healthy.
• Get your parents involved. Fitness is still important when people age.
• Make simple changes to your lifestyle, like climbing the stairs instead of riding the elevator.
• Plan ahead. Don’t wait until the month before your wedding to start working toward your fitness goals. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
• Even after you’re married, use working out as a way to do something for yourself. Just keeping that hour for yourself every so often can keep you—and your marriage—happy and healthy.