This 1-Month Wedding Workout Plan Will Leave You Feeling Cool and Confident For Your Big Day

Your Goal

Exercise five days a week for 35 to 50 minutes a day, completing cardio and strength training in the same session.

Cardio

Start with a 20-minute walk or jog outside or on the treadmill. The intensity level should be at a point where you can feel your heart rate increase, but you can still carry a conversation with someone. Bonus: Instead of music, download a 20-minute meditation to help quiet your mind from any wedding stress.

Strength Training

• Crunches: Do 25 reps of a standard crunch, 25 reps on each side of an oblique crunch or bicycle crunch, then 25 standard crunches to complete the set. That's a total of 100 crunches.
• Superman: Do 10 reps, holding for two to five seconds each.
• Do three reps, holding for 30 seconds each.
• Bridge: Do three reps, holding for 30 seconds each.
• Push-ups: Do three sets of 10 reps each.

Your Goal

Exercise five days a week for 35 to 50 minutes a day, completing cardio and strength training in the same session.

Cardio

Keep your walk or jog to 20 minutes, but ramp up the intensity and speed as you aim to travel an extra half mile. Bonus: Try mantra meditation, in which you repeat a mantra in your mind, for the duration of your walk or jog. Whenever something else comes to mind (Did the caterer reply to my email?), simply release the thought and return to repeating your mantra.

Strength Training

This week, you'll add two new moves and increase the reps or duration of the exercises from the first portion of the plan.

• Crunches: Do 25 reps of a tabletop crunch, 25 reps on each side of a bicycle crunch with hold, then 25 tabletop crunches to complete the set. That's a total of 100 crunches.
• Superman: Do two reps, holding for 30 seconds each.
• Plank<:> Do three reps, holding for one minute each. (For increased difficulty, try a plank with knee tap.)
• Bridge: Do three reps, holding for one minute each.
• Push-ups: Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps. Beginners should start with a knee push-up to get the form right.
• Squat holds: Do three reps of a basic squat, holding the squat for 30 to 45 seconds each.
• Triceps dips: Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps each.

Your Goal

Exercise every other day for 45 to 70 minutes, completing cardio and strength training — including a new weight-training segment — in the same session. You might also try a gentle yoga flow on your rest days to stretch and relax your mind.

Cardio

Add intervals to your 20-minute workout while continuing to practice mantra meditation. When you use this formula, your distance travelled should be further than last week:

• Two-minute walk at a medium pace
• One-minute run or jog at a fast pace
• Two-minute walk at a medium pace
• One-minute run or jog at a fast pace
• Two-minute walk at a medium pace
• Two-minute run or jog at a fast pace
• 10-minute walk or jog at a medium pace

Bodyweight Exercises

This week, you'll slightly modify or increase the reps or duration of the exercises from last week and add one new move.

• Crunches: Do 25 reps of a tabletop crunch, 25 reps on each side of a bicycle crunch with hold, then 25 tabletop crunches to complete the set. At the end of each set of 25, add 10 small, tight pulses.
• Superman: Do one to two reps, holding for one minute each.
• Plank: Do three reps, holding for one minute each. (For increased difficulty, try a plank with knee tap.)
• Bridge: Do three sets, holding for one minute each.
• Push-ups: Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps. Beginners should start with a knee push-up to get the form right.
• Squat holds: Do three sets of a basic squat, holding the squat for 45 to 60 seconds each.
• Triceps dips: Do three sets of 15 reps each.
• Lunges: Do 20 reps on each leg.

Weight Training

You'll need one set of light dumbbells (one to two kilograms) and one set of heavy dumbbells (2.5 to five kilograms). Do one to two sets of 15 reps of each move, with a 30-second rest between sets.

• Chest press (using heavy weights)
• Bent-over row (using heavy weights)
• Overhead triceps extension (using light weights)
• Lateral shoulder raises (using light weights)

Your Goal

Exercise every other day for 50 to 75 minutes each session, completing cardio and strength training in the same session. You might also try a gentle yoga flow on your rest days to stretch and relax your mind.

Cardio

Go for a 20-minute interval walk/run using this formula. Once again, your final distance should be further than last week, even as you continue to practice mantra meditation:

• Two-minute walk at medium pace
• Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
• One-minute walk at medium pace
• One-minute run/jog at fast pace
• One-minute walk at medium pace
• One-minute run/jog at fast pace
• One-minute walk at medium pace
• One-minute run/jog at fast pace
• One-minute walk at medium pace
• Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
• One-minute walk at medium pace
• Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
• One-minute walk at medium pace
• Two-minute run/jog at fast pace
• One-minute walk at medium pace

Bodyweight Exercises

This week, you'll modify the exercises to continue to challenge your muscles, then add a couple new moves during the weight-training segment.

• Crunches: Do 25 reps of a tabletop crunch, 25 reps on each side of a bicycle crunch with hold, then 25 tabletop crunches to complete the set. At the end of each set of 25, add 10 small, tight pulses.
• Superman: Do one to two reps, holding for one minute each.
• Plank: Do three reps, holding for one minute each. (For increased difficulty, try a plank with knee tap.)
• Bridge: Do three reps, holding for one minute each. Add 10 small pulses at the top of the move before lowering back to the ground.
• Push-ups: Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps. Beginners should start with a knee push-up to get the form right.
• Squats: Do three sets of 10 to 20 reps, followed by a 30-second hold at the end of each set.
• Triceps dips: Do three sets of 20 reps each.
• Dumbbell lunge: Using a set of light dumbbells, alternate lunges for a total of 40 reps, 20 on each side.

Weight Training

You'll need one set of light dumbbells (two to four pounds) and one set of heavy dumbbells (five to 10 pounds). Do one to two sets of 15 reps of each move, with a 30-second rest between sets. Alternate between heavy weight exercises and light weight exercises — such as a set of chest presses, followed by a set of reverse flys — to increase the difficulty.

• Chest press (using heavy weights)
• Reverse fly (using light weights)
• Bent-over row (using heavy weights)
• Lateral shoulder raises (using light weights)
• Bicep curl (using heavy weights)
• Overhead triceps extension (using light weights)