Celeb Trainer Erika Bloom’s Five Killer Pilates Exercises for Brides

By Ariel Okin

Celebrity pilates instructor Erika Bloom knows a thing or two about good posture. With over 20 years as a private instructor and a career as a professional dancer before founding her eponymous studio, Bloom is an expert in the body’s form and function. Below, Bloom provides five killer pilates-inspired workouts to get you in top shape to walk down the aisle—lengthening, strengthening and aligning your body in the process.

Erika Bloom Arm Circles

1. Arm Circles

How to:
Start standing tall with a small weight of 2-3 lbs in each hand. Keeping a long, neutral spine, slowly begin lifting the arms forward while making small, outward circles with each arm. The circles should be about the size of a bread plate. As you circle, keep your collar bones open and your shoulder blades wide and down on your back. Engage your abs to keep spine supported. When your hands come in line with your shoulders, continue the circles as you lower your arms back to your sides. Repeat eight times.

Why it’s great for brides:
Arm Circles will give you toned, sculpted shoulders to show off in your wedding dress.

 Erika Bloom Chest Expansion
2. Chest Expansion

How to:
Stand with a light weight in each hand. Bend your knees and hinge forward at your hips with a long, neutral spine. Lengthen your arms down to floor with your palms facing each other. Reach the weights back and up until your palms come to hip height. Feel wide across your chest and your back as you draw your belly button in to your spine. Lengthen arms back down to starting position. Do 15 reps.

Why it’s great for brides:
When it comes to looking good in pictures, posture is the most important element. This exercise widens your collarbones, perfects your posture, and leaves you standing tall, confident, and graceful in photos.

 Erika Bloom Up Stretch
3. Up Stretch Variation

How to:
Begin in a plank position with a long reach from your heels to the top of your head. Reach your sit bones up to the sky as you press back and fold at the hips to come to a downward-facing dog position. Exhale to deepen your belly as you lengthen back to plank. Focus on continuing to lengthen and engage your waist throughout the positions. Perform 10 reps.

Why it’s great for brides:
This exercise effectively works every muscle in the body, so it’s great for brides that are short on time. If you’re wearing a strapless gown, this one is a must as it focuses on the serratus muscle to combat any pesky back bulge over your dress.

 Erika Bloom Side Plank Twist
4. Side Plank Twist

How to:
Lie on your side with your right forearm against the mat under your right shoulder and your left arm reaching up to the ceiling. Float your hip and waist up to a side plank. Press up from your hip and waist into a side plank. Thread your left arm through the space below torso to twist. Return to starting position. Repeat the twist eight times then lower to repeat on the other side.

Why it’s great for brides:
While all Pilates exercises work the core and require deep core engagement, this exercise mainly focuses on working all corners of the core to create a slimmer waist. Most wedding dresses get narrow in the stomach for a feminine look and a slim waist is key. An added bonus: This move also works the serratus muscle for combating back bulge.

 Erika Bloom Swimming
5. Swimming

How to:
Lie face down with your arms and legs extended straight. Take flight by lifting your arms, head, shoulders, and legs up. Alternate tiny arm and leg lifts as if you were swimming, but only take your arms as high as you can keep your collar bones wide and your legs as high as you can keep your back long. Inhale for 4 counts and exhale for 4 counts 8 times.

Why it’s great for brides:
This exercise tones all of the muscles in the back—from the back of the shoulders and all along the spine. It’s the perfect toning exercise for dresses that expose the back. It also helps strengthen the back of the legs to create a lifted, perky butt.