How to Transform Your Wedding Workout Energy While Planning

Often, couples get caught up in the minutiae of wedding planning, but I always say, "It's not like you remember those small details." I'm more of a Type B personality anyway, so I can't honestly remember my place settings nor tell you what I ate for dinner at my wedding. What I can remember is the feeling of having my family celebrate my wedding during COVID-19 and feeling so connected to my husband. I can recall the pure joy of the day. Here's how you can bring those feelings into the wedding planning [and wedding workout] process.

Shift Your Intention

Creating overwhelming stress over small details is out. Instead, ask yourselves: "How can we take those planning details and make them more fun?" Bring that same energy into making lifestyle changes. Again, instead of saying, "Let's shed for the wedding," tell yourself that you want to feel confident and powerful in your body.

That's a completely different feeling and posture. Altering the intention from simply working out to actually enjoying a class or run transformed me both mentally and physically. It's important to find something you like so you can show up consistently. It's an energy shift, especially when you're moving around.

Maybe you are someone who's embracing a healthier lifestyle leading up to your wedding and you want to incorporate movement. Your energy has to match that intention. It could be as simple as saying, "I want to feel empowered on my wedding day." Versus, "I want to be smaller. I want to take up less space."

Design: Ashley Detmering

Start Where You Are

It can feel more doable to follow a program, whether you're on a beginner, intermediate or advanced track. I put together a wedding program because fitness can be overwhelming, especially if you don't have that habit and routine built in. The other part is making sure you're participating in a movement or practice that you enjoy. If you're going to work out, you have to enjoy it.

Commit Small

My mantra is commit to less so you can show up for more. To me, it starts with short workouts, especially when you're building a habit and a routine. I preach it all the time [at The Sculpt Society]: Exercising for 10, even 5, minutes every day is better than having one long workout once a week and being sedentary the rest of the time. Each day, simply carve out 5 or 10 minutes. Building a habit requires a mental shift in the beginning. Once you've completed 5 minutes, you're now onto 10 minutes. Those smaller commitments develop a routine. That is powerful.

Value Rest

I'm no doctor, but I do know stress and cortisol levels can impact women and our hormones. While planning, you'll want to prioritize rest days. Sleep is also a priority (more on page 17). Don't be triggered by those who say, "I only got five hours, and I'm a machine." I need eight or nine hours each night, and I prioritize that. Sometimes, that means saying no to things so I can get great sleep.

Walk Outdoors (With Your Partner!)

Getting outside is so important. With work from home culture, I could stay indoors all day. But getting outside to absorb Vitamin D and up your step count are great for your overall health (and for bonding with your partner). I love to go for a walk to get coffee every day with my husband as a way for us to connect. We've had some of our deepest conversations shoulder-to-shoulder.

Be Yourself

My husband, Morgan, is the type of guy who prefers I don't wear makeup. He thinks I look pretty when I have air-dried frizzy hair, and he wants me to show up just as I am. It's helped my confidence to know I have a partner who wants me to look like me. We had a conversation before our wedding where he said, "I want you to feel really confident and good. I want you to be you on the wedding day." After all, he fell in love with me and not 10-pounds-lighter Megan.

Hydrate

Oh, and water. General water intake (about 9 to 13 cups per day) is a no-brainer and will help you feel alert and balanced.

The Prewedding Conversation I Had With My Wife, Megan Roup

In everything big we do, Megan and I discuss life milestones and what we want out of them. Before the wedding, we talked about how we both wanted to feel on the actual day. Rather than applying external pressures and incorporating things that aren't normal for us, I wanted to ensure the Megan I fell in love with felt her very best.

We also both said we wanted to be present. I didn't want to feel like I was performing for anyone. I wanted to be fully present during our vows, while expressing the words I had written. Fun fact: During the ceremony, we were harboring a little secret of our own. We were up there getting married, and no one knew that we were soon-to-be parents too. We ended up unveiling her pregnancy to the family at the reception. I remember it vividly.
–MORGAN HUMPHREY

A version of this story first appeared in the Summer 2024 Planning Issue of The Knot Magazine. Discover how to purchase the issue.