Is There a Safe Way to Slim Down for the Wedding?

The best way for brides to lose weight or get toned up for their wedding day is with a healthy diet and sensible exercise program. Start with these basics now and stay fit for a lifetime.

Aerobic Exercise or Cardio. Start exercising in 20-minute increments, three times a week. Swimming, cycling, walking, running, and hiking are among the best exercises you can do to burn fat instead of muscle. As your endurance improves, increase your exertion level and your length of exercise time. Working out for 10 minutes in the morning, on your lunch hour, and at night is just as beneficial as one long 30-minute workout.

Resistance Training. Whether you have a lot or a little weight to lose, if you're like most people, you'll feel better about your body if you tone up. Resistance training is the perfect complement to aerobic exercises, like swimming and walking, and is great for improving bone strength and sculpting the body. (Women don't naturally possess enough of the male hormone, testosterone, to build large muscle mass, so don't shy away from using barbells or dumbells.)

Start your resistance training with relatively low weights so that you feel muscle fatigue after one set of 12 to 15 exercise repetitions. Again, as you build endurance, add more weight and increase the number of repetitions in your sets.