Wedded Wonderland contributor, nutritionist and blogger, Jessica Sepel knows all about bridal health and fitness – she’s getting married at the end of this year! Her biggest advice to other brides is to give up the long gym sessions (don’t you just want to kiss her!?). Find out why in this month’s expert advice article.

Has anyone else had the thought pop up that they should be spending the entire day in the gym?

I can assure you that I still have momentary thoughts like this! But from my personal and professional experience, I believe we should be exercising moderately. Less is truly more.

I suggest 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough. Take this opportunity to try new styles of exercise – I personally love yoga, pilates, ballet barre and weight training. These all incorporate resistance training, which increases muscle mass and speeds up your metabolism.  Embrace incidental exercise (yes, shopping does count as cardio!) – but opt to take the stairs or catch up with a friend for a brisk walk instead of coffee and cake. Dean, my fiancé, and I have decided to walk every night after dinner for 10 to 15 minutes. Small changes make a big difference.

I always suggest having one rest day from exercise and limit my use of technology. I also have a non-negotiable commitment to myself: no phone, email or social media after 8pm. I also aim for eight hours of sleep every night. Tuck yourself into bed early (I look forward to it so much) and allow yourself eight hours to recharge. You deserve it.

Something else my community and I do is – enter – what I call the ‘JSHealth stress free zone’, where for 10 to 20 minutes every day I commit to simply resting: this means putting my phone away and not checking emails. I lie down for a few minutes, read or go for a walk in nature’.  In this modern world – I believe we really need to schedule in rest like you would for a meeting. The minute I made this commitment, my health really improved.

When we feel tired, we can’t fully appreciate the moments around us. When we don’t take care of our stress levels, we release a hormone called cortisol which makes it harder to burn fat for energy and can contribute to unbalanced hormones. I am giving you permission to stop, to breathe and to rest- so that you can take in this magical time in your life.

Jessica Sepel – With a Bachelor of Health Science and Nutritional Medicine and social media following of more than 100k, Jessica has cemented herself as the go-to healthy lifestyle guru. Her approach is informed by a well-researched understanding of nutrition and complimented by a passion to achieve physical and psychological balance. Jessica has just released her first hard-copy book, ‘The Healthy Life’. She is passionate about helping individuals embrace a healthier lifestyle through nutrition and believes food can heal all. Jessica’s approach to health and nutrition aims to inspire people to live the best possible lifestyle by maintaining a healthy relationship with food and themselves.

Main image from Tal Kahlon Bridal.