This article was originally published in the fourth quarter issue of The New Castle County Women's Journal. To access the full issue, please visit this link.

Do you have an upcoming life event—a knee replacement, wedding, or vacation—that demands you looking and feeling your best? Unsure whether your diet, sleep, or exercise needs the most attention? Consider a holistic medical weight loss program for the fastest and most lasting results. Pre-surgical “boot camp” programs (aka"prehabilitation") use many strategies that are equally appropriate when preparing for a gala or wedding. These programs comprise several pillars; at Admire Medical, we define them as exercise/physical activity, lifestyle, and "neuro/psych" (anything dealing with the brain or nerves). 

Why is this strategy so helpful?  First, it helps you hit goals faster, like weight loss, appearing rested with better skin complexion, or presenting yourself with confidence.  Second, weddings are extremely stressful, as we know.  By prioritizing regular exercise, optimized nutrition, mental health care, sleep, and a bit of pampering, anybody involved with the wedding will feel their best and be better equipped to dance the night away.  Third, these programs typically focus on sustainability. The upcoming event is not "the end," but a means of achieving a more active life less burdened by pain, weakness, obesity, or other chronic diseases. Let’s dive into specifics. 

What better time to prioritize exercise than when preparing for a reception filled with dancing or a honeymoon?!  With these goals in mind, it is important to include both aerobic and strength training.  You are less likely to sweat through your formalwear and require frequent rest breaks if aerobic conditioning is up to par.  Honeymoons involve travel and sightseeing, which is more exciting when you are capable of hiking Hawaiian volcanoes or skiing in Aspen.  Strength training ensures your first dance may include a graceful lift without an embarrassing mishap. Extra muscle comes in handy when filling out a tux or wiping out while skiing the slopes.   

The indirect benefits are even more exciting and provide greater lasting advantages.  With strength training, research shows you are likely to achieve better sleep quality. Also, the combined training styles help keep your metabolism from declining after significant weight loss while also improving diabetes more effectively.  For parents of the happy couple, strength training helps to maintain muscle mass and bone density, which is useful when picking up grandkids or stowing suitcases overhead when traveling. 

The lifestyle pillar includes other aspects of weight loss, including medications and nutritional strategies.  When paired with exercise, revamping one's health is easier, those changes last longer, and may involve less sacrifice overall.  Cutting out indulgences like alcohol and tobacco removes anchors that hold you back from progress.  Plus, fine-tuning this pillar makes neuro/psych optimization more effective. 

Pain is activity limiting, joy smothering, and sleep disrupting.As part of the neuro/psych pillar, we target pain through medications and therapies to make it easier to stay on track with other objectives.  Restful, restorative sleep is the keystone of health, so we aggressively target pain at night time, stress in the daytime, and late-night snacking to be sure that sleep is as refreshing as possible.  When your sleep is good, your mood is better, appetite easier to control, and personal bests while exercising become within reach.  Plus, you’ll glow in those wedding photos. 

Weddings are a prime example, because they are life events where all aspects of health and self-care become a priority.  They provide a clear timeline with a "finish line date" to keep you on track when pursuing health goals.  This approach can be used by anyone, anytime.  After our patients complete a prehabilitation program and recover from that joint replacement, we restart the timeline with a different date in mind.  Goal setting is critically important; otherwise, a busy life puts self-care in the backseat.  We've only got this one life to enjoy the company of family, see the world, and feel our best.