Our Founder and CEO of The Studio (MDR), the one and only Lisa Hirsch, is getting married this weekend! In addition to wishing her a world of happiness, inquiring minds want to know: What’s life been like leading up to the big day, and what have you done to look and feel your best? Here’s what Lisa has to say…
Q: What was your diet + exercise routine like before you started wedding prep?
A: I’d take classes at The Studio (MDR) 3 times a week, and I would typically throw in a spin class at YAS twice a week. If I didn’t spin, I’d do some cardio at Spectrum in the early mornings with my fiancé, Andy.
Q: How has your diet + exercise routine changed since you started preparing for your wedding?
A: Well, I should preface this by saying it has definitely been an interesting time to prepare for my wedding because I have a lower-back injury that I have been working through. So, the limitations of that—both mentally and physically—have been intense! I’m someone who is normally quite strong and dedicated to an exercise routine, so learning how to really listen to my body and back off when my pain is “talking” to me has felt rather stifling at times.
Because of these limitations on my workouts over the past three months, I’ve had to focus a lot on my mental preparation for the wedding—which has been a blessing in disguise! As anyone who’s ever planned a wedding knows, getting all of the details organized is seriously stressful! Learning how to control my stress (and I’ll admit it—my frustration at times!) and channel it into something beneficial is work that’ll benefit me long after Andy and I say “I do.”
Despite my injury, I’ve continued to work out at The Studio 3 to 4 times a week (I added an extra day), but now I modify many of the moves due to my injury. I am very cautious because I obviously don’t want to make my injury worse. All of our trainers have been amazing, helping me make modifications so that I stay safe but still get a good workout.
I am also lucky in that I received a Peloton bike for Hanukkah this year. So, I spin in the comfort of my own home a couple days a week. It saves a ton of time—and also truly feels as if I am actually in a class!
I also practice yoga—though it’s a more “mental” yoga these days, because I can’t curve my back into certain postures due to my back pain. Once a week, I practice with one of my clients who is a fabulous teacher, Rachelle Tratt (she teaches at Yoga Collective in Venice). She also guides me in meditation, which I’ve found super-helpful in the stressful times leading up to the big day.
As for my diet, I’ve been extremely lucky to work with my good friend, Chef Kelly Boyer, who is the CEO and founder of PALETA. I order her meal delivery service daily to make sure that I eat enough before the wedding. As a bride-to-be, I want to look and feel amazing. I also know myself well enough to know that during really busy, stressful times, it’s easy to forget to eat. For someone who is constantly on the go like me, PALETA is perfect. It gives me all the nourishment I need, and everything that arrives in those cute little cooler bags tastes delicious!
Finally, I’ve also been working with Dr. Koyama, who practices Color Therapy. To be honest, I can’t explain it. You’re just going to have to trust me: Go to him if you have any sort of minor injury! Color Therapy works, and it doesn’t hurt. Plus, the doc’s office is conveniently located on Washington Blvd.
Q: Are there any dietary or exercise routine changes that you plan on continuing after your wedding?
A: For me, it’s all about continuing to heal my back and get stronger, so I think my pre-wedding routine is my new go-to routine.
Q: What kind of changes have you seen in your body since you started wedding prep?
A: In many ways, I’m a lot stronger than I was before I started wedding prep. And I really have my injury to thank for that! Strength is about so much more than physical fitness; it’s also about how well you’re able to stay grounded during crazy times, or connect with your body even when it’s injured and won’t do what you’d like it to do.
Q: What are you most excited about in preparing for your wedding?
A: Knowing that all the people I love will be in the same place at once, and that I am marrying the most wonderful man.
Q: What has been most stressful about preparing for your wedding?
A: Sticking to a budget, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and dealing with a back injury throughout it all!
Q: What kinds of things have you been doing to support a positive psyche in what can be a fairly stressful time?
A: I’ve called my life-lines (a.k.a. my friends)! And lucky me, a couple of my dear friends are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to meditation. Working with Rachelle Tratt on breathing techniques as well as Taylor Estes, who teaches a form of yoga called Kundalini, has been amazingly supportive and calming. I also drop in to my friend’s meditation studio, Suze Yalof Schwartz’ Unplug, for group meditation sessions.
Q: What is the most “out-there” thing that you have tried (from a diet/exercise/ psychological POV)?
A: Definitely color therapy. It may be all mental, but I swear, it works!
Q: What advice do you have for other brides-to-be preparing for their own weddings on how to get into wedding-ready shape?
A: There is not a cookie-cutter “Guide to The Perfect Bride,” but here is what I can suggest.
For starters, I think it’s smart to simply embrace the fact that planning a wedding is stressful. Wait, I take that back. It’s not stressful, it’s extremely stressful. I would open 10 studios in one day over planning a wedding again, and I have the BEST wedding planner ever, Percy Sales! So, know that things are going to come up between you and your partner that are unexpected. Try to roll with them and take a step back when things get heated or uneasy. Because in the long run, it’s really just supposed to be a happy day in your life, celebrating your union of love—nothing more. Life is too short to let the details make you crazy.
When it comes to exercise and food intake… Yes, we all want to feel and look good on our wedding day. But it’s important to remember that when you are shining from within, you look a heck of a lot better then when you are 5 pounds smaller, feeling miserable and broken. So, do what lights you up and makes you happy! Go for hikes, sign up for a private meditation session with one of my amazing teachers, and come to The Studio (MDR) three times a week for one of the most effective (and fun!) workouts you’ll ever try. Whatever it is that makes you utterly you, DO IT! And when you do, I guarantee it will make you be the most GORGEOUS (MDR) BRIDE EVER!
Look It*Feel It*Live it®