The brides-to-be in the class are all trying to look our best on our big day.
Credit: Google Images
They say there’s strength in numbers — going through a process with other people can help you be successful. That’s the idea behind “Fit to Say I Do,” the “bridal bootcamp” I’m doing at New York Health & Racquet Club.
The group of brides-to-be meets twice a week, spending an hour working out together with instructors Alicia Harris and Genieve Gordon. We use resistance bands and frames that look like hurdles, but really act like ballet barres. The exercises are similar to Pilates, which I’ve never done before, and may sound easy but they’re harder than they look. Your muscles really burn after an hour of squats, lunges, pliés, arm curls and more (especially holding the poses for what feels like a long time).
There are only a few of us in the class, which means we get lots of personal attention. That’s particularly helpful, since we come in all shapes and sizes with our unique strengths and weaknesses. But there’s at least one thing we all have in common: We want to look our best on our big day. We’re also going to get support from a nutritionist, which I know has been a big key to my success so far.
I talked with another of the brides, Amanda Marcus, who’s getting married in July. She’s been coming to NYHRC for about a year and has mostly taken dance classes before — she’s much more graceful than I am! — but this kind of workout is new to her, too.
Amanda called herself “really bad at self-motivating” (which makes two of us) and wanted the accountability that comes with committing to a program.
“I know I’ll be here twice a week, and if I can get in one more class a week, I feel like I’m doing something,” she told me.
The program just started but now it’s a fixed part of my week, and I’m glad to be doing it with other women who are dealing with the same balancing act that I am (work, home and the minutia of wedding planning, which seems like a never-ending to-do list).
NYHRC is planning other sessions of the program that will start later this spring. If you’re a future bride who’s interested, contact the group fitness director at gfdirector@nyhrc.com.
Progress Report
I’m really anxious to get my dress; only seven weeks to go! Any day now…
Starting Stats (as of Jan. 29)
Weight: 209.5 pounds
Body Mass Index (BMI): 36
Chest: 48 inches
Waist: 41 inches
Hips: 48.5 inches
Current Stats (as of Mar. 10)
Weight: 194.5 pounds (15 pounds lost)
BMI: 33.3 (down 2.7 points)
Chest: 43.4 inches (nearly five inches lost)
Waist 38.75 inches (two and a quarter inches smaller)
Hips: 43 inches (five and a half inches!)
Amanda Art is Metro’s social media manager. Over the next few months, track her weight loss progress as she readies for her May 3 wedding. Follow Amanda on Twitter at @NYNewsgirl.
