Every bride-to-be is worried about how she'll look on her big day. She'll be the centre of attention, with hundreds of eyes following her every move, not to mention the deluge of cameras just waiting to snap a pic at an unflattering angle.  It’s no wonder that a Google search of “wedding diet” brings up an endless number of quick fixes and extreme diets guaranteed to make you miserable, and probably no slimmer.

During this stressful time, the surest way to guarantee a happy and glowing bride is to focus on exercise and healthy eating to feel good. Looking good will naturally follow. Here are some tips to help you get fit and find that inner glow of health.

Bridal Bootcamp

A number of gyms and fitness groups offer Bridal Bootcamps specifically aimed to assist brides in toning up key problem areas. Think exercises that focus on upper arms (no bride wants bingo wings in her strapless gown), thighs and bum. Actually, these areas aren’t that different from those of concern of all women, wedding pending or not! Any fitness house or bootcamp will achieve similar results, but you may be extra motivated being around people with a similar goal. Plus, you can complain about wedding vendors and the crazy demands of your in laws while you sweat it out.

Renew Your Gym Membership

Confession time – do you pay for a gym membership you never use? Have you promised yourself you will go “next week” every week for half a year? Yeah, we too. Well, dust off the pass and head back there. It’s not always the most motivating place to work out, with the distinctive gym smell and endless rows of intimidating exercise machines, but it will get results if you do it right. Consider using the services of a gym trainer to set you a program that you can follow. Some gyms offer this service for free if you signup and you can check in regularly to stay on track. It’s a good idea to enlist a bridesmaid as a gym buddy to keep you motivated.

Personal Trainer

It’s a pricey option but some of us need that little extra push that only a personal trainer can provide. Pre-paying for a series of sessions is a great way to ensure you turn up and put in maximum effort, lest the money be wasted. You could have paid for the lolly buffet with that money so you had better use it wisely. Taking a friend, or even the Groom, can make it a more cost effective option. The bonus here is that personal trainers can give you a plan to keep you on track between sessions and give you diet and nutritional advice to complement the training and maximize your results.

Work It Out At Home

If gyms and group fitness isn’t your thing or your budget just doesn’t stretch to it, you can get fit at home. Download one of the many free exercise programs available for bridal fitness and get to it. You don’t have to buy expensive weights, use your body weight or cans of soup and beans or water bottles filled with sand. There are plenty of free exercise videos on YouTube, or you can buy a few DVDs and follow those. A walk or run at the local park with a friend is totally free and effective. If you’re not an established runner, then download one of the many free running programs that will get you from the sofa to the fun run in a few weeks.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that exercise releases loads of feel-good endorphins that will have you looking like the happiest bride around.