Yesterday I met with Gillian O Sullivan a former Olympian and World Silver Medallist who now runs her own personal fitness company to hear about how she helps brides (and indeed grooms) to be get in shape to look their best for their big day.
Gillian is based in Cork and runs her personal fitness sessions out of the Hayfield Manor Hotel near UCC in the city. She does personal & group training and has a special ‘wedding package’ to help the bride, groom, bridesmaids and even the mother of the bride/groom prepare for the wedding. She recommends starting about 4-6 months out from the big day to make sure you have adequate time to get trim and look great in the dress.
She will meet you once a week (usually in the mornings, or after work) for 1 hour and does some cardio (jogging down to Fitzgearlds Park in the city) and then back to the gym in the hotel for the weight training which helps with the strengthening and toning (and lets face it, the bingo wings). Also included is an assessment of your overall diet & exercise routine and she gives food advice as well as an exercise schedule for the week before you are back to her again. And don’t worry, she’s not a screamer – no cheesy Mr Motivator one-liners here!
The good thing about Gillian’s program is that you don’t have to be a gym member already, the exercises she gives you can be done at home or out in a park – you may only have to invest in a small set of hand weights. With benefits such as increased energy and stress release, to be honest I think it should nearly be mandatory for all brides-to-be!
Gillian will devise a healthy programme to get you in shape, slim down and tone up to look your best on the big day. She will guide you in the right direction to achieve your goal….of fitting into the all important dress!
