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WASHINGTON, Dec.
1 — Randi Kessel (pictured at right) knows just what she wants to see in a
wedding gown. Herself, looking fit. The 30-year-old bride-to-be and her fiancee
have not set the date yet and she doesn’t have a gown, but she does have a
personal trainer and a goal: to lose 10 to 15 pounds.
Like many
prospective brides, the New York City woman is knuckling down to a new
commitment to exercise so she can fit into the size she wants. Kessel, who
describes herself as “5 feet — OK, I’m four-eleven,” intends to drop from a size
4 to a size 2 before she selects a gown.
Just as important,
she intends to be fit, in all the parts of her that the gown will show off.
The typical bride
reassesses her image and projects a picture of what she thinks her life should
be on her wedding day, said Antonia van der Meer, editor in chief of Modern
Bride magazine.
That’s why personal
trainers get added to the long list of advisers and suppliers that make getting
married a $600 million a year industry, she said.
Looking good in a
gown requires something other than the typical aerobics class, which specializes
in trimming pounds and toning legs, butts and abs. The benefits of those
workouts may impress the groom but, for the most part, they are hidden under the
gown.
Strapless dresses
that reveal the shoulders and arms are hot sellers, and that’s where upper body
weight training can sculpt and define. “If you ask a bride, the No. 1 thing they
will say is, ’I want nice arms,”’ said Sue Fleming, a New York City trainer who
developed the Buff Brides workout routine, highlighted in her book and a cable
TV series.
That’s true in
Kessel’s case. “I’ve always been doing cardio, but I can’t do weights on my
own,” she said. She works with trainer Mary Onyango in a Buff Brides program at
a New York Sports Clubs gym in Manhattan.
EXERCISE NEEDS A COMMITMENT TOO
Women new to weight training take special handling. “They don’t like heavy
weights. Once you raise the weights two days later you’re going to be very
sore,” Onyango said. She uses light weights and many repetitions to firm up the
muscles without making them larger.
FIGHTING FLAB
In his new book "No More Cellulite," fitness expert Wayne Westcott details a
diet and exercise plan that's been shown to help women firm up with three
45-minute workout sessions a week. Click on a workout above for basic
recommendations for each session.
Twenty minutes on the treadmill (walking or jogging), stationary bike or stair
climber.
One set each of the following 10 machine exercises performed at the weight that
fatigues the target muscle within 10 to 15 repetitions: leg curl, leg extension,
hip adduction, hip abduction, leg press, bench press, seated row, overhead
press, low back extension and abdominal curl.
Following each weight training exercise, perform a 20-second stretch of the
muscle worked. This may boost strength gains, according to Westcott.
Onyango also encourages clients to eat right and to keep showing up for
workouts. For some women, this takes a lot of support. "There is one (client)
that is a tough case. She can’t change her lifestyle, basically," she said.
As the wedding date
approaches, Onyango also becomes a counselor. "My other bride is in the panic
stage," she said. "She doesn’t feel she’ll fit into her dress."
What happens when
the smaller gown still doesn’t fit? Onyango remains upbeat: "If your personality
is strong and you are confident, you will make anything look good."
The bridal shop can work on the rest. "You can have a cap sleeves, a halter,
lace sleeves," said Mara Urshel, owner and president of Kleinfeld, a giant
bridal emporium in Brooklyn.
She takes issue
with one goal: reckless optimism on the part of the bride-to-be. It’s easier to
take in a gown if the exercise program works than to add panels and perform
other expansion tricks if it does not, she said. "A girl will say, ’I am a size
12 on the chart, but I want you to order me a size 8,"’ Urshel said. "We know 90
percent of the time that will not be the case."
HOW WOMEN CAN
AVOID INJURIES
Researchers have identified several risk factors that contribute to a higher
incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among female athletes.
Click on a button for tips on reducing a woman’s risk.
Women often do not bend their knees as much as men do when landing from a jump,
which increases pressure on the knee joint. Bending the knees during a landing
offers built-in shock absorption that protects the knee ligaments.
Females often turn and pivot in a more erect position than men, which can strain
the ACL. Learning to crouch and bend at the knees and hips can reduce the stress
on the ligament. These maneuvers are skills that can be learned, practiced and
improved, just like a golf swing or tennis stroke.
Many women athletes use their quadriceps muscles when they are changing
direction rapidly. This can put enough force on the shinbone to tear the ACL if
the knee is not bent enough. By concentrating on using the hamstrings rather
than the quadriceps muscles, a female athlete can reduce her risk of an ACL
injury.
Warm up and stretch before jumping into a workout. The larger your range of
motion, the further the joint can move before you tear something.
Strengthening and stretching the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles can enhance
balance and coordination.
To stretch the quadriceps, stand and use a wall or table for support. Lift one
leg and pull your foot towards your buttocks. Hold for five second, then release
the foot and stand straight. Repeat six to 10 times on one side, then turn and
repeat on the other side.
To stretch the hamstrings, sit with one knee bent and the other leg extended,
toes point to the ceiling. Lean forward until you feel a stretch. Hold for five
seconds then return to your original position. Repeat six to 10 times on each
leg.
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