Bogged Down in Wedding Planning? De-Stress With Pilates
May is here and that means wedding season has begun!
If you’re a bride-to-be, then you may be in the midst of planning your big day. And if all of the planning isn’t the dreamy event you imagined, you’re not alone. Far from it, actually.
Planning a wedding is a stressful event. Fortunately, you can de-stress with Pilates.
Why Is Wedding Planning So Stressful?
First of all, there are all the expectations. Some of
these expectations regard the wedding itself.
What many brides-to-be don’t anticipate during the planning phase is the deluge of unsolicited advice and opinions from (perhaps well-meaning) friends and family members. Every decision you make is going to be second guessed by these folks who will raise their own set of questions and concerns.
You’re going with THAT vendor? Are you sure those are the flowers you want? Do you think a chocolate cake is the best idea?
Unless you’re firmly resolved in your choices and don’t care what anybody else has to say, getting bombarded from so many different directions can leave you feeling depleted and suddenly unsure about what you want for your special day.
Then there are the expectations about your appearance.
Losing Sight of the Celebration
Did you know that 62 percent of brides attempt to lose weight in the weeks or even months leading up to the big day? Of those, only about 20 percent reach their goal.
As if all the stress of planning your wedding isn’t enough, you may find yourself slipping into unhealthy habits so you’ll be able to post the “look at our perfect wedding” pictures on social media.
In your tireless pursuit for the perfect wedding dress body, you may even be skipping out on the proper nourishment you need and losing sight of the fact that your wedding is a celebration of the love and commitment you’re making to your partner. What it’s NOT is an excuse to challenge yourself into fitting into some impossible little number you’re likely to never wear again.
Of course, eating issues are very complicated. And we don’t mean to diminish them.
But if you’re finding you’re in emotional turmoil over planning the day, trying to look a certain way, or both, then it’s time to do a mental health check-in.
You need to zoom out and de-stress.
The Negative Impact of Stress
Since the planning began, how well have you been sleeping? Not so great? Do you find yourself getting sick more often? Again, you’re not alone.
When stress goes unchecked, it can manifest in the body in unruly ways like lack of sleep or a weakened immune system. In addition, carrying around stress can increase depression while decreasing mental concentration and critical thinking skills. What’s more, it can cause weight gain.
It’s a vicious circle. So what do you do?
De-Stress With Pilates
While Pilates can ultimately help you move toward a leaner and more supple body, the key point to focus on here is its ability to help you declutter your mind and leave you more at ease.
Through connected, fluid, and mindful movements that don’t ask you to sweat and grunt, Pilates infuses a sense of calmness to decrease your stress levels. By concentrating on your body and the movements, you can ward off those distracting thoughts that keep you up at night.
Step into a quiet Pilates studio and you’ll immediately feel yourself come down. The intentional movements encourage a state of mindfulness. Plus. you’ll learn breathing exercises that will not only improve blood circulation in the body, but they’ll ease your mind into relaxation. And you can take this breath work out of studio and into the rest of your life.
That includes your wedding.
The Mind-Body Connection
Of course, Pilates is an excellent way to safely strengthen your core muscles and spine to improve posture. And it’s an undeniable scientific fact that exercise and movement alter your body’s chemistry. It releases those ‘feel good’ endorphins while decreasing stress hormones such as cortisol.
But Pilates also teaches you to breathe to calm the mind and connect more deeply with the movements. The practice asks you to pay attention to the whole body-mind connection. Along with stretching and strengthening movements, it’s the perfect antidote for the stress you’re experiencing while planning your wedding.
Doesn’t that sound appealing?
Are You Ready to Start?
If your wedding is just mere weeks (or even months) away, it’s not too late to de-stress with Pilates.
Contact us today. Seriously. Don’t wait.
Because just heading in to the studio will provide a change of scenery and move you into a calmer state. “Marry” that with the support of highly experienced teachers who are there to facilitate the process, and you’ll feel that wedding planning stress just melt away.