The Healthy Bride

Last night, during bootcamp,  we were talking about the fact that Monique Lhuillier is now offering lower price point bridesmaid dresses, which led us to the fact that Nordstrom is now offering a bridal boutique (more on that subject soon), which led us straight to the subject of bridal shoes  (amazing how the subject matter cascades while running).

I just learned of a great website myshoes.com where you can search and compare prices on bridal footwear.  They don’t actually sell anything themselves, they just help you find the pair of shoes you are looking for at the best price.  How cool is that???

Gabrielle is having a really hard time finding the shoes she needs in a size that works.  Maybe this is her answer.  Gabrielle, let us know if myshoes.com can help!

This site is really fun!  Here is a sample of their .tv selection:

This article was all over the cable news this morning.  Do you agree?

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

About half of women say they would rather go without sex for the summer than gain 10 pounds. A fourth of men feel the same way.

OBESITY: Can weight down your sex life

More people say they would rather shed 10 to 20 pounds during the summer than get promoted at work.

Of course, weight loss would make them feel sexier. About 66% of people say they need to lose weight to feel sexier than they currently do. It would take a loss of an average 23 pounds to feel hotter.

“What this shows is that people are highly motivated to not gain weight,” says Bruce Daggy, vice president of research and development for Nutrisystem. “They recognize what it will do to their feeling of well-being and fitness.”

Another poll conducted a few years ago for Fitness magazine found more than half of Americans say they’d rather lose their jobs than get fat.

Other findings from the Nutrisystem poll, conducted by Kelton Research for the diet company:

•Three-quarters of both men and women would have been willing to give up something — such as watching TV, shopping, using a cellphone or computer for the summer — for a flat tummy.

•Almost half say they don’t diet because they don’t want to give up their favorite foods.

•About a third don’t want the inconvenience of dieting, and a quarter don’t want to deal with the stress.

•Half of dieters have tried to lose weight within the past two years.

•A third have tried over the past year.

•About half say that you have to start planning in the winter (January through March) to get your body in shape for summer.

•Participants in the survey attemped to diet an average of 13 times in their lifetime — women, 16 times; men, 8.

READERS: What would you give up — or not — if it meant avoiding weight gain?

Here are the top 5 that require (nearly) no equipment.  Erica is the model (wedding in 14 days)

vertical leg crunch

Bicycles

Which day of the week are you most motivated? Do you find one day of the week particularly more energy charged than another?  If you do, be sure to use that day to your bridal fitness advantage!

When you find the day that is most motivating to you, do your hardest workout of the week on that day.  Recently, I did a 15 mile (uphill) bike ride to a trail-head where I met my class.  We then did 2 hours of trail running and then I rode home (downhill, which was super fun).  It was a fantastic workout (I somehow had the time to do the ride) and I felt great afterward. It also packed in several days-worth of workout into one evening.  It was certainly more than I usually do, and took some pressure off the rest of my week for getting in my workouts.

What if you don’t have a specific day of the week that feels better than any other?  That’s ok.  You certainly do have “times” when you feel particularly more energetic than usual.  Be sure to leverage those days!  Do twice the workout you would ordinarily. Instead of just doing your “usual” 40 minutes on the Elliptical, do those 40 minutes using the “random” setting on the machine and afterward spend 30 (or so) minutes doing a weight workout.  This will do a couple of things.  First, it will let you know what you are really capable of doing, and second, it will buy you space for those days when you really don’t (or can’t) do anything at all.

It will also give you the feeling of accomplishment and rev you up for your next workout.  My best day is Monday.  Which day is yours?

I just could not resist.  If you missed it, watch Bridal Bootcamp episode #1

Seems that all brides want to be a size 6 or 8.  True or false?

Warning!  There is lots of yelling and puking!

So we are less than 100 days away from the wedding. FINALLY in double digits! I am getting more and more excited as each day passes but along with the excitement are the nerves, the “to do list”, and the wedding workouts!
Though I have come very far in my fitness and weight loss goals I still have goals to reach. To help me reach these goals I have decided to take on the challenge of doing 100 push ups and 100 sit ups per day for the 100 days leading up to the wedding. I will also run 100 miles in the remaining 100 days. So far I have done them everyday for 1 week! It’s nothing to brag about but definitely a start….Only 93 days left to go! I am hoping that this public goal setting will help me be accountable. The bachelorette party weekend may pose issues, but I will try!
In other wedding news my dress is in!! The second dress that is… The story of “the dress” is that I was so excited to be engaged that I went dress shopping right away. The first store I went to had more of a boutique feel and carried a lot of designer dresses and along with the designer dresses came designer prices. I tried several dresses on and fell in love with one dress in particular. It was beautiful and I loved it BUT I just couldn’t get myself to spend the ungodly amount of money on a dress you wear for one night…so I didn’t get it.
The next store we went to had more affordable dresses yet still very pretty. Again I tried on dress after dress and then I tried on “the one”.  It had a sweetheart neckline, buttons down the back, slimming and priced right. I loved it so much that I bought it in an instant. A few weeks later I started thinking that I made the wrong decision and kept thinking about the dress at the first store that I had fallen in love with. I decided to go back down to Portland and try on the dress I had purchased to make sure I still liked it, and thankfully I did. So I thought we were safe…but we weren’t. A few months later it started happening again, I would think about the other dress everyday but I had already purchased my dress and I couldn’t return it so I convinced myself to just be happy with the one I had.
Then February came around and I was walking home from work when I received a phone call from Store 1. They were calling to let me know that if I wanted to purchase the dress I needed to do so right away to avoid rush fees. I told her that I had already purchased another dress but thank you for calling. The woman on the phone responded “Ok no problem; I should let you know however that we have marked the dress down 800 dollars and we are giving all our brides free shoes with their purchase this weekend.” Speechless I quickly rationalized a quick trip to Portland and a second wedding dress and responded “I’ll be there tomorrow!!” The next day I drove down to Portland tried it on and bought it. Not to mention it was 2 dress sizes smaller than the one I had purchased a few months before. Thank goodness this hard work is paying off!! The dress was perfect and I am so excited to wear it on my big day. So even though I entirely ruined my wedding dress budget I am so happy with my decision. So with all that being said I can’t wait to get down to Portland and try it on. Lets all hope that I still like it!! =)

from ewednews.com
By Paul Pannone

If early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise then a workout session by a bustling bride gets her in shape to make better decisions when planning her wedding—right?  Move over Benjamin Franklin, you’re not the only one to make blanket statements. In fact, a study refutes Franklin’s statement. But an ongoing eWedNews story involving The Healthy Bride is tying together how fitness and affluence may be directly correlated.

This is the final of a three-part series involving fitness for brides and the growing desire to look their best for their weddings. Christi Masi has done an excellent job of bringing us through the history and current status of the industry. In this segment, Masi focuses on emerging trends. “Brides want a program that gets them results, but is also social. In the currently weak economy, individual training is down and small group training is up. It’s economically more affordable for brides to hire a trainer as a group rather than an individual. Brides and grooms are taking their health seriously, realizing it’s their responsibility and within their own control. Most see the time before the weddings as an opportunity to become physically fit and person they want to be, long after the wedding day.

Brides (and grooms) are a great group to work with and assist in helping form healthy habits.  They are happy, young, embarking on a new phase of life. What better time to develop new habits and to see changes within a prescribed timeframe? I still hear people say they’ve never heard of bridal fitness or of a bridal bootcamp. I’m still taken back by the statement after living and breathing the fitness business of over 7 years now.

This year the Wedding Report estimated the health and fitness business to be a $271 million industry; my belief is that we’re only the beginning of a growing opportunity to capture the market, as so many brides live in areas without local resources for bridal fitness and fun workouts,” says Masi.

Are brides getting physical or staying fat?

In an ongoing eWedNews story, the correlation between a fit, healthy bride is being watched. Higher income spending and bigger bridal budgets are felt to be directly related. The statement is open for your ire, dissection and review. Please “weigh in” as you please but remember, we’re not knocking BBB (Big Beautiful Brides)—we’re only covering a news story and welcome your input.

Thanks to Christi Masi for her contribution to this three-part segement!

A must-have guide for anyone wanting to enter the bridal fitness niche

Seattle – March 31, 2010 – The Healthy Bride, a Seattle-based personal training and nutrition consultancy helping brides feel and look great on their wedding day, announced today the release of the “How to start a Bridal Fitness Business” Ebook, aimed at helping fitness professionals better serve the bridal industry.

The Ebook provides fitness professionals with an abundance of resources, including: a step-by-step guide on how to start a bridal fitness business from the ground up, descriptions and pointers on how to structure a successful bridal boot camp, marketing templates, an exercise dictionary, forms, webinars, and videos.

The Ebook was written by Christi Masi, an award-winning fitness trainer and founder of The Healthy Bride, and Monica Sansaver, a recent bride and Seattle University MBA graduate. “The Ebook captures my seven years of experience and key learnings to create an operations manual that will jump start anyone wanting to get into the bridal fitness business,” said Masi.

The Healthy Bride launched in 2004, when the bridal fitness industry was only beginning to gain popularity – today this industry is in a period of rapid growth.  According to the the Wedding Report, the market value for bridal diet, weight loss, and gyms was US$271 million for 2009. “I love the bridal fitness business, and want to help others get started.  Brides-to-be are very fun to work with – they are happy, healthy and motivated!  I want to help other fitness professionals achieve success in this rewarding industry by sharing what I have learned,” Said Masi.

In addition to the Ebook, Masi recently launched the wedding industry’s first ever Bridal Fitness Directory, www.healthy-bride.com. The site allows bridal fitness providers to promote their information and services to help them grow their bridal fitness business. “I wanted to provide a place where quality bridal fitness professionals’ can promote their business and brides can obtain helpful information on bridal fitness and wedding weight loss from experts in their area,” said Masi.  “With the site, any bride can find a qualified personal trainer or bridal bootcamp program in their local area.”  The Ebook and the the directory are great resources for bridal fitness entrepreneurs that want to jump start their business.

The Healthy Bride®: A Leader in Bridal Fitness

The Healthy Bride (www.healthy-bride.com) was founded by Christi Masi to help prepare brides-to-be (and a groom or two!) for their big day through individualized fitness and nutritional regimes developed exclusively for their particular goals.  Based in Seattle, The Healthy Bride offers bootcamp-style classes and nutritional counseling for brides in the area, as well as a online and localized resources for brides-to-be nationwide, including free workout podcasts, a fitness blog, workout accessories, and Christi Masi’s “Healthy Bride Bootcamp DVD” and her book, “The Healthy Bride Guide,” also available on Amazon.com. Fitness professionals and brides can also follow The Healthy Bride’s bridal fitness tips on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thehealthybride and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheHealthyBride.com.

About Christi Masi
Founder of The Healthy Bride®, Masi’s focus is on training women to successfully meet life challenges. An avid, international mountain climber, her professional background includes 11 years of sales and marketing at Starbucks Coffee. Christi’s outstanding leadership ability and natural enthusiasm has motivated women to complete triathlons, half marathons, and summit climbs of Mt. Rainier. Not to mention health and fitness goals for pivotal life moments like weddings!  Christi’s credentials include ACSM- HFI® and NSCA -CPT® certifications and a BA in psychology from the University of Washington.  Modern Bride Magazine awarded Christi designation as a “Top Trendsetter of 2006” and Seattle Bride Magazine has awarded The Healthy Bride Best Bridal Fitness Program 2007, 2008 & 2009.

The Healthy Bride® is a registered trademark of Cloud Nine Women, Inc.

Media Contact:

Christi Masi

christi@healthy-bride.com

206-755-9683

Downtown Bellevue Park is so serene in the middle of a dynamically evolving city landscape. It’s a flat circular park with a well groomed trail and architectural moat around the perimeter. The center boasts a large grassy area that is well maintained. On most days you will find walkers, joggers, and families at the play. On nice days there will be several groups meeting for recreational volleyball or Frisbee football and Brides working it hard. It’s such a great place for all fitness levels and activities.

Warm up: easy jog 1/2 mile (Trail Distance around the park)
Stairs for 8 minutes
Pushups for 1 minute
Crunches for 1 minute

This is our baseline fitness test. We do this every session so we’re always aware of our growth, strength and ability.

15 Minute Power Circuit = This may look like utter confusion at first glance however, it’s a great ice breaker, brings in lots of laughter and is a great workout as we all do it together!

Jog Lines 3 minutes
Butt Kicks 100 Meters
Walking Lunge with Torso Twist – 100 Meters
Jumping Jacks – 10 seconds
Plank – 15 seconds
Plank with Knees to Elbows – 10 Repetitions
Mountain Climbers – 15 seconds
Push Ups – 10 Repetitions
Jumping Jacks – 10 Seconds
Side Lunge – 20 Seconds ea Side
Walking Lunge – 50 Meters
Walking Lunge with Shoulder Press – 50 Meters
Jog it Out – 100 Meters
Butt Kicks – 100 Meters
High Step Jog – 50 Meters
Plank – 15 Seconds
Plank with Knees to Elbows – 10 Repetitions
Mountain Climbers – 15 seconds
Push Ups – 10 Repetitions
Jog it Out – 100 Meters
Butt Kick/High Step Alternate – 50 Meters
Side Lunge – 20 Seconds ea Side
Sumo Squat with Shoulder Press using Resistance Band – 10 Repetitions
Plank – 30 Seconds

Rotating Circuit = Each Bride takes an exercise. It’s a 60 second timed interval in a circular pattern. Once finished with the 60 second interval Brides bound around the interval “circle” once around and stop at the next station clockwise.

1. Squat/bicep curl with Resistance Band
2. Tricep extensions with Resistance Band
3. Jump Rope
4. Side Plank – 30 Seconds per Side
5. Resistance Band Rows w Pulses

Partner Circuit w/ Resistance Bands
Chest Press with Partner 2×20
Rear Delt Row with Partner 2×20

Abdominals and Stretching
Crunch with Oblique Twist 2×20
Throw Downs 2×20 (with medicine ball)
Bicycles 2×20

Enjoy! I know we will!
Stacie Chavez
Secret Weapon

Here is a killer workout for a rainy weekend:

Use a treadmill or elliptical

Start on the cardio machine and go at a moderate pace for 30 seconds, then go as hard as you can (I mean 90-100% effort) for 30 seconds. Rotate this sequence for 3 minutes.

Lunges with weights for 3 minutes
Back to cardio intervals 3 minutes
Squats to overhead press 3 minutes

Cardio 3 minutes
Supine Leg curls with ball – 3 sets of 15 with a break between sets

Cardio 3 minutes
Standing Quad extensions with Bands 3 sets of 15 each leg (straighten leg in front of you without moving your hip)

3 minutes cardio intervals
Pushups with one hand on a ball, roll the ball back and forth between your hands each rep.   Do 3 sets of 25
Cardio intervals 3 minutes
Lat Rows 3 sets 15
Cardio Intervals
Biceps curls
Triceps dips
3 sets 15 each

Abs session – 40 crunch, bicycles, 25 reverse crunch, 25 obliques each way

Stretch!

Nice work!