I can't help but think of this time of year as wedding season. It's not that I am a hopeless romantic. Hardly. Instead, it is a train of thought which is an outgrowth of five years working at a celebrity-wedding magazine. When I started I thought duchess satin was British royal on par with Lady Di, but soon I was noticing the difference between aprincess silhouette and goddess gown.

By far away my favorite part of our wedding magazines was working on the health and fitness stories. Because we couldn't assume that the brides to be had been working out before getting engaged, each exercise program we featured started out slow and got more extensive as the nuptials got closer, before relaxing right before the big day. Usually spread out over three months, these workout routines were the perfect way to introduce readers to exercise in a gradual way, therefore making injuries less likely. 

Other than the fact that these regiments were highly structured; the thing that stood out about them was their reliance on strength training. Yeah, there was some cardio too, but, as most trainers will tell you, strength training raises your metabolism faster and makes the pounds drop off quicker than jogging around the block three times a week. Since most of our readers were professional women who lived busy lives that were made even busier by the craziness of planning a wedding, we always recommended that they have a back-up plan, like a set of resistance tubes, in case they couldn't make it to the gym. Not only are tubes easy to travel with, but they are safer and less intimidating than dumbbells. After years of running these strength programs we soon added yoga to the regiments. Not only did yoga allow brides to get a great workout while away from the gym, but yoga's inherent stretching and breathing-exercises provided a much needed stress-reducer for those ladies that were starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.

My last couple years working at the magazine I also saw another distinct shift in the wedding market. While brides still wanted glamour and style, they were also looking at ways to make Mother Earth as happy as the Mother of the Bride. Going green didn't
mean that every couple was forgoing a celebration, but instead they were looking for earth friendly ways to share not only their joy but also their eco-consciousness. To give it a go yourself, try some of these ideas:

• Buy flowers that are in-season or local
• Serve local or organic cuisine
• Buy or rent a gently-used dress or tux
• Save paper by choosing email invitations (or at least use recycled paper)
• Buy credits to offset your wedding's carbon-footprint

Oh course, you don't have to do all these things. Do just a couple and you will be a sharing your good fortune and happiness with the whole planet.

By: Steven Camelio | Natural Fitness Contributor