I’m sure if I asked you for a typical activity of any bachelor or bachelorette party you would probably answer, “Drinking, of course!”  And while you are likely correct, there is a new trend emerging when it comes to celebrating the bride and groom.

This weekend 2 close friends of mine got married.  As with any wedding, the interests of the bride and groom have shaped the look, feel, and events of their special day.   Case in point – the bride and groom’s Wedding WOD (short for Workout Of the Day – a term coined by the CrossFit community).

For the past 2+ years I have belonged to the CrossFit community and many of the best friends I have ever made have come as a result.  We work hard together, we play hard together and my strongest interpersonal bonds have been forged through our mutual struggles and victories.  So, when I first heard the term Wedding WOD, I just thought it was another thing my crazy group of CrossFit friends had cooked up as excuse to work hard and play hard with their nearest and dearest.

As it turns out, the idea of using exercise instead of a traditional food and alcohol centered affair to celebrate impending nuptials is a trend that is taking hold in many areas of the country.  An article published earlier this week in the New York Times profiled several brides and their bridesmaids as they took their bachelorette parties to the gym instead of the bar.

“…it reflects shifting priorities among a new generation of brides.”

Each group’s activities reflected the interests of the bride.  One group of bachelorettes ran a 10K race while other groups chose to take spinning, Pilates, yoga, or dance-based aerobics classes to celebrate their bride-to-be.

So why the shift?  According to the brides themselves, “It’s (Exercise) changed my life…and it’s more fun with friends.”  An active bachelorette party is more congruent to the healthy lifestyles they have established for themselves.

Previous to this weekend’s Wedding WOD, I have participated in 2 other wedding themed WODs in addition to my own Anniversary WOD celebrating my 5 years of marriage.  Unlike any of the bachelorette parties I have gone to, I left those Wedding WODs feeling better than I did at the start because I had participated in a celebration that encouraged healthy habits instead of instead of derailing them.

Marriage is about spending a life time together and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the start of a newly married couple’s life together by actively cultivating the habits that will create and sustain long and healthy life.