The Brooklyn Bride

Be fit & fabulous
Get the hot bridal bod you’re looking for with these fun — and hip — programs offered throughout the borough

By Chiara V. Cowan
for The Brooklyn Papers

What’s on the menu? Who can be cut from the guest list? When’s the next fitting? A bride’s mind is always at work on the details. Decisions about color scheme, flowers and music come and go as the big day approaches. The one thought that takes up permanent residency during the pre-wedding months: “How can I look my best?”

Brides ask, “How can I maximize my workouts in the shortest amount of time? Should I diet? Do I look fat?” All understandable thoughts considering that all eyes will be on her as she makes her way down the aisle, as she stands at the altar, as bride and groom have their first dance — you know the story.

Enter local gyms and studios. To combat these worries, they’re adding programs specifically designed for brides. So you can keep planning, while making a more buff you a top priority, too. Adhering to a regular fitness routine will also help to relieve stress and keep those sleepless nights at bay.

The drill

“First and foremost, you have to have a plan of attack,” advises Darren Taylor, co-owner of Boot Camp Fitness NYC Brooklyn in Park Slope. “Without one, you’ll wind up taking five steps backward for every two steps forward.”

Taylor and partner Jeffrey Sidnez have designed a full-body program for brides similar to their usual boot camp — strict, but motivating. It begins with a personalized consultation involving one of the gym’s trainers and a nutritionist.

The timeframe is key. The earlier you start, the more in-shape you’ll be.

“Stay consistent,” recommends Taylor. “I always say, ‘It’s like watching grass grow — day by day.’ ”

Three to four full-body workouts a week at the gym including cardio, free weights and calisthenics aren’t always enough. On off days, Taylor suggests hitting the park for a walk or run — anything to keep the heart rate up.

“Depending on eating habits and the intensity of the workout, a bride-to-be can make dramatic changes in 10 to 12 weeks,” says Taylor.

Just ask Leahanna Barbaretti, 29, of Fort Greene.

Barbaretti is getting married at the end of July. She joined Boot Camp Fitness at the beginning of June and has already noticed a difference.

“I see shrinking and toning,” she said. “ I work out harder here than I ever would do on my own, and I feel great.”

Band together

At Park Slope Fitness Collective (PSFC) it’s all about integrating the four parts of fitness — strength training, cardiovascular, nutrition, and flexibility — into one.

“We’ve developed a process called fitness planning,” says PSFC owner Clavel Lazarre. “It’s a way to achieve goals quicker.”

The planning involves a commitment of at least six weeks of development and then six weeks to get the desired results. There are different trainers for each component and each session leads you to your goals. While you’re ensured a full-body workout every session, no two workouts are the same.

“If you want to focus on your arms and back, since they’re what everyone will see,” says Lazarre, “we’re here to help you get there.”

For motivation, you’re free to take a buddy session — you and mom, you and your maid of honor, or even you and your fiance. A recurring event, called the “Buff Bride Workshop,” in which brides-to-be come in and exercise to an actual wedding band for the duration of the class, is also offered.

Try your luck and you might even be able to snag the musicians for your very own wedding.

Find your bliss

If you’re looking for calm and overall inner and outer peace, then yoga might be the pre-wedding workout for you.

“Brides are most anxious before their wedding,” says Lya Mojica, an instructor at Yoga Spot NY in Midwood. “Yoga helps deal with all of that anxiety and stress.”

For thousands of years, yoga has been practiced to heal and calm spirits and souls. With all of the breathing, meditation, strength and flexibility it involves, a bride is sure to look and feel excellent on the big day. Mojica recommends trying Vinyasa, a fast-moving class that involves all body parts, and always, always breathing.

“Breathing is super important,” says Mojica. “With yoga, you are able to use your breaths to control your nervous system which then affects your circulatory system.”

All of the emphasis on breathing will help you better prepare for the altar. That combined with eating fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking lots of water and tea, and eliminating starches from your diet, will not only benefit your physique, but also your skin, hair and nails.

The best part about yoga is that you can practice at home on your days off. Purchase a video or DVD so that you are able to follow the regular or modified moves and poses without risking injury.

Feminine physique

You’ll stretch and sweat all class long with a Pilates package at Ellie Herman Studios in Park Slope while working your abs, thighs, glutes, back and arms.

“Pilates gives you a lean figure,” says owner Ellie Herman. “It makes muscles thin and longer.”

Already underway is a “Pilates Boot Camp Especially for Brides” program geared towards the altar-bound. The focus is on attaining a feminine physique, not bulky or muscled. It’s an individualized, eight-week program that includes three Pilates sessions per week — one individual and two mat classes. During the individual session, you can focus on the desired body part. And even though the mat class isn’t private, it’s small in size; that way, no one person or need is ever ignored.

“In addition to the program, I always tell my clients to buy a pair of MBT [Masai Barefoot Technology] shoes,” says Herman. “They’re great for posture and you’ll actually burn more calories wearing them. They’re brilliant. It’s like Pilates while you walk.”

Although the shoes are an at-home reinforcement for all of the core work done during the sessions, with or without them, you’ll be standing tall, strong, and confident long after your wedding day.

Boot Camp Fitness Brooklyn NYC is located at 172 Flatbush Ave. at Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. Six weeks of three classes per week, $425. For more information on session dates, class schedules, and special deals on double sessions, call (877) FIT-LOOK or visit www.bootcampfitnessnyc.com.

Ellie Herman Studios is located at 788A Union St. at Sixth Street in Park Slope. Call for details about the next “Pilates Boot Camp Especially for Brides” session. For more information, call (718) 230-3707 or visit www.ellie.net.

Park Slope Fitness Collective is located at 377 Seventh Ave. at 11th Street in Park Slope. Individual sessions range from $55-$75 depending on the amount of classes purchased. 24 sessions cost $1,500. Call for information about the next “Buff Bride Workshop.” For a 10 percent discount on bride packages, call (718) 499-1849. For more information, visit www.fitnesscollective.com.

Yoga Spot NY is located at 1219 Quentin Rd. at Kings Highway in Midwood. For prices and schedules, call (718) 339-6425 or visit www.yogaspotny.com.

September 9, 2006 edition |. Read more about Brooklyn Weddings