Bostonista Solves: A Case of Bridal Envy

As wedding season draws to a close, we find ourselves battling a severe case of bridal envy. Before you cringe at our Scary Sadshaw-ish overshare, relax: This isn’t one of those posts. The gowns all look the same to us; we’d prefer a down payment to a diamond; and (luckily) we’re not head-over-heels with any of the grooms. But the brides’ toned arms? An entirely different story…

Longing for that buff-yet-graceful look, we touched base with Dave Pardue, a personal trainer at One2One BodyScapes. He focuses on improving posture to help brides look more statuesque as they walk down the aisle…but we think his tips will help lots of desk-slumpers, too.

Here’s what Pardue recommends:

Seated Rows: Squeeze your shoulder blades as you pull the bar on the machine towards your chest. Hold this position for one to two seconds. The upright form of the body in this workout will help strengthen key muscles. Strengthening the muscles in your upper back, specifically your rhomboids, helps make your posture straighter.

Perform exercises that engage your butt muscles that do not overwork your quads: Strengthening your glutes helps you stand up straighter, but if you overwork your quads, your body reacts by arching forward. So try Pilates moves instead of endless lunges.

Do not overwork your chest: If you focus too much weight on your chest muscles, your shoulders will begin to roll forward as your chest caves forward.

Bodyscapes at Trinity Place, 1 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-267-5766, one2onebodyscapes.com.

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