The big day is fast approaching and your mind is kicking into high gear. "I want to lose those last five pounds!" you tell yourself...or, "These batwing arms and love handles have got to go!" Whether you're the bride, the mother-of-the-bride, the groom, or part of a bridal party, you are most likely affected by the pressures that surround the wedding season. The negative self-talk and desperate desire to achieve an arbitrarily defined idea of perfection is a tough burden that weighs even heavier in the context of "sweating for the wedding."
We're here to remind you to take a step back for a second and reassess! Regardless of your role in the wedding, this is supposed to be a fun and exciting time, celebrating with the people that you love and that love you. So instead of obsessing over your diet and exercise routine, at iFit, we're advocating for a healthy approach to wedding fitness. We're saying a big "NO" to crash diets, starvation tactics, and three-a-days at the gym and instead, we are incorporating short, effective, equipment-free workouts that are easy to squeeze into even the busiest of days.
Even if you don't have the time for a full-on treadmill or bike sweat session (or maybe you just aren't in the mood, which is also okay!), you'll still get your heart pumping, muscles quivering, and endorphins flowing with these great at-home workouts, courtesy of iFit Trainer Elyse Miller. So grab your yoga mat and resistance band, blast some music, and get ready to have some fun!
Workout 1:
LOW-IMPACT FULL-BODY
- 10–15 reps each (on exercises with single side, do 10–15 on each side)
- 3–4 sets
- Done in 15 minutes
Workout moves
- Mountain climber to push up (go to knees for push-up if needed)—mountain climber on each leg, then push-up
- Single-leg, bridged hamstring press up
- Knees to march up squat—alternate which leg you step up with
- Side plank with outer thigh lifts
- Reverse plank tricep press
- Downward dog to plank—bring one knee in and toward elbow, alternate sides
Workout 2:
HIIT CARDIO
- 30 seconds for each move
- Rest 10 seconds between moves
- 3–4 sets
- 10–15 minutes max
Workout moves
- Lunge hop up
- In/out squat hops
- Burpees with double-glute kick back
- Long jump and low shuffle back
- Half burpee (get into a plank, hop feet toward hands, squat super low, then pop back into plank)
- Mini squatting jacks
Workout 3:
FULL-BODY TONING & STRENGTH
- 30 seconds each, minimal to no rest
- 3 sets
Workout moves
- Banded side steps with bicep curls
- Banded squats with glute kick back
- Squat hold with band pulls (squeeze the back as you pull back)
- Hamstring lunges (keep the back leg totally straight, focus on bending toward the front toe, almost as if going forward and back, rather than up and down)
- Planked single arm row with knee tap
