Looking Fab On Your Big Day

Look great and feel amazing on your wedding day with the help of a Personal Trainer!

Almost every Bride and Groom wants to look their best and feel full of confidence on their big day. If you are 100% happy with your body then that’s great but for most of us there is usually something that we would like to change; that might be anything from wanting to be a few pounds lighter and toning up the back of your arms to losing several stones and getting rid of your tummy. Either way, you will have to make some lifestyle changes in order to be looking your best on your wedding day.

Here are three important steps to consider if you are serious about achieving your dream body:

• Set yourself some goals

Your goals have to be achievable and realistic if you want to succeed, it’s no good setting a goal to lose 3 stone when your wedding is in 4 weeks! Aiming for a 1-2 lb per week weight loss will be very realistic and achievable and set you up for success. If your goal is to lose a stone then make sure you make a start 12 weeks before your wedding, in the worst case you’ll be 12lb lighter by your wedding day, looking and feeling great. Write your goals down and keep them in sight every day as a constant reminder of what you are ultimately aiming for. A reputable Personal Trainer will be able to help you with your goal setting and give you the strategies you’ll need to keep on track.

• Prioritise

To change your body shape you will have to make several lifestyle changes. This will involve good nutrition and structured exercise. As most of us live life at such a rapid pace, juggling work and family life, good nutrition and regular exercise often get pushed to the bottom of the priority list. You will therefore need to give a higher priority to these two things in order get the results you’re after. As 70-80% of your success will come from what you eat, it is wise to choose a Personal Trainer that also specializes in nutrition.

• Take action!

Now that you have set your goals and made good nutrition and regular exercise a priority in your life you need to take action! You won’t have time to waste your efforts on fad diets and gimmicky fitness gadgets that promise the world and end up gathering dust in the loft! This is where a Personal Trainer can really help you. With varied and fun workouts designed specifically to meet your needs you will reach your goals as quickly and efficiently as possible. By frequently updating your workouts you will keep your improvements constant and motivation high.

When deciding which Personal Trainer you are going to hire, it is vital that you consider the following points:

1. Is the Trainer fully qualified? – Anyone can set themselves up and call themselves a Personal Trainer so it is vital that you check that they have a qualification from a reputable training provider. Here are some of the well respected and industry recognised qualifications in the UK; CYMCA or CYQ, Premier Training International, Focus Training, Future Fit, Drummond Education. In the USA the American College of Sports Medicine - ACSM
2. Is the Trainer fully certified? - Are they a member of the government backed Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) which was set up to monitor and regulate the fitness industry. If so, make sure they are at Level 3 on the Register, anything less and you've got yourself a basic Gym Instructor. Are they a member of the National Register of Personal Trainers (NRPT)?
3. Is the Trainer insured? - To be a member of REPs & the NRPT the Trainer must have valid Public Liability Insurance.
4. Is the Trainer experienced? - You must make sure that the Trainer has an excellent track record, this is usually evident through word of mouth recommendations and/or previous and existing client's testimonials. If in doubt, ask the Trainer if you can speak to several of his/her clients for their feedback.
5. Don't buy on price alone! - When it comes to choosing a Personal Trainer, it is unwise to make your decision based on the cheapest one you can find. It isn’t like car insurance where you can get away with selecting the cheapest one in the hope that you won't need to make a claim. Your Personal Trainer will charge a fee that he/she feels they are worthy of, this will generally be down to their levels of education and the amount of experience they have. At the end of the day you want the best results in the shortest possible time so be wary of the "cheap" ones as you might end up spending more money in the long run due to slow progress from an incompetent Trainer. When it comes to Personal Training you definitely get what you pay for! However, there are exceptions’ to this rule therefore it is definitely worth checking out the Trainers experience as mentioned in Tip no. 4.

By Ryan Phillips, Business Owner and Personal Trainer of Phillips-Fit, providing high quality Personal Trainers in Reading

Copyright 2009 Phillips-Fit