- pilates - 

I am going to target five key areas that all brides should be focusing on leading up to the wedding day so that you feel the most confident in your dress.

1. THE ARMS Ladies we all know this is number 1. 
   We need to get those triceps toned.
    
2. The shoulders and back, so many dresses have a low cut back or thin straps you want to show off beautiful defined shoulders and back.
    
3. FLAT ABS We would all agree there is nothing worse than being self conscious of your stomach. I will teach you breathing and deep strengthening exercises so your abs will naturally feel that corset feeling before you even put your dress on.
    
4. Thighs and hips We are going to tone the muscles around the outside of the hips down to the thighs to fit into those figure-hugging dresses.
    
5. LAST BUT NOT LEAST YOUR POSTURE
    
6. This might be something that doesn’t initially come to mind when you think about your wedding day but it is something that when you look back on photos, you might wish you were standing up that bit straighter and that your shoulders were pulled back.

You will need a light hand weight 1-5kg (if you don’t have this you can still do this exercise with large soup cans, or filled water bottles) 

Start Position Standing with feet under hips, bend knees and pitch spine forward on a diagonal. Press arms straight back in line with hips.

Movement Bend elbows, then engage the triceps to press the arms to straighten. Try to keep the upper arms still through this movement and the shoulders drawn back. 

Repeat this action x 20 and then single arm x 15 each.

DO think of the elbows being drawn closer together and the abdominals drawing back to the spine.

DON't Allow the spine to round forward. This will round the shoulders and will affect the triceps from doing the work.

You will need a light hand weight 1-5kg (if you don’t have this you can still do this exercise with large soup cans, or filled water bottles) 

Start Position- Standing with feet under hips, bend knees and pitch spine forward on a diagonal. Take arms straight down towards the floor in line with shoulders.

Flys - lift arms out to the side just past shoulder height keeping a slight bend in the elbows so the back of the shoulders do the work.

Scarecrow- start with arms straight and then bend at the elbows completely to create a 90 degree angle at the elbow. Again focus the movement on coming from the back of the shoulders and control the lowering down.

Complete x 10 of each and repeat twice.

DO Keep the elbows the highest point in the end position of both these exercises. Many females over extend in our joints particularly at the elbows and if this happens the back and shoulders won’t get the work that they should.

DON't Allow the spine to round forward. This will round the shoulders and will affect the back extensors from engaging correctly.

Start position- Lie flat on your back with two knees bent and feet on the floor.

Deep abdominal breathing
Hands on to belly, imagine you have
a balloon in your stomach and it is slowly filling with air as you count to 10. As you exhale slowly deflate the stomach and imagine your zipping up a pair of skinny jeans at the same time you tie a waist band around your mid section. Do this x 5 and then try and do a normal inhalation with the same action as youjust did on the exhale. This will teach your body how to naturally keep a subtle activation of the deep transverse abdominals that give you that narrow waist.

Abdominal series
Single leg stretch + twist

Start position legs up at table top and lift the head chest off the floor and hands supporting the head and neck.

Movement Stretch one leg at a time out to straighten and think of zipping up your skinny jeans and tying your waist band at the same time. Repeat x 12 each side

Then add twist of torso towards the bent knee x 12 each side.

DO BREATHE! As the leg extends to straighten use a deep breath out to narrow the waist and zip up the lower abdominals.

DON't Allow the abdominals to 'pop' or 'bulge' this will create dysfunction around the pelvic muscles and ultimately wont give you the flat abs that you want.

Start position lie on side with two knees bent up in line with hips. Focus on the muscles on the outside of the hip/buttox.

Movement - Lift top leg above hip height and lower x10, then add on leg straightens once you lift up x 10, lastly keep a straight leg out at a 90 degree angle from the hip and lift and lower to the ground and up above the hip height x 15 and FEEL THE BURN!

DO keep the underneath side of the waist lifted away from the floor.

DON't let the pelvis rock around. This will change the load of the exercise and you won’t feel as much work in the outer side of the hip which is exactly where you want to feel the burn.

Start position stand spine and hips up against a wall with feet a foot away from the wall. Bend elbows and take them up in line with shoulders against the wall.

Movement-Keep the elbows bent and turn the forearm towards the wall without dropping the elbow joint down. Make sure your upper back/ribcage and head stay against the wall to strengthen your upright postural muscles and teach your body how to stand in the correct alignment.

Repeat x 10 and repeat twice through.

DO  BREATHE and LENGTHEN THE SPINE.

DON'T let the lower back over arch instead keep deepening the abdominals and narrowing the waist as you breathe out.