Maren Morris on Losing 20 Pounds: 'I Wanted to Feel Strong'

Maren Morris is opening up about her health journey and weight loss, revealing for the first time that she lost 20 pounds before marrying Ryan Hurd last year. The 29-year-old hired celebrity trainer, Erin Oprea, to help her get in shape, unaware that she would shed a significant amount of weight in the process.

"It feels really cliché, but before my wedding a little over a year ago, I decided to start using a trainer," Morris told Women's Health. "I'd always worked out really intermittently and done yoga and hot yoga but had never really used a trainer before, and I really wanted to get toned," she says. "I didn't necessarily want to lose weight, I wanted to feel strong, so I definitely do feel strong now, which is nice."

Morris needs her strength – and stamina – more than ever, now that she is headlining her own Girl: The World Tour, which is why she makes workouts a priority, even while on the road.

"My trainer, Erin, and I love doing a lot of resistance training," revealed the singer. "When I'm on tour, she can't always come with me, so I just use a yoga mat and free weights on my bus, and I'll FaceTime session with her, so it's kind of like a mobile trainer. We just do a ton of lunges, squats, a lot of upper body – we do a cardio mix throughout, and then stretch afterwards really well."

Morris also took time to praise Oprea and others on social media, after the latest issue of Women's Health magazine came out, with Morris in a stunning photo on the cover.

"This year, I've been a 'student of the soul,'" Morris shared on Instagram. "Going to therapy, exercising, listening to my partner better, putting my phone down and really enjoying the company of my friends and family when I'm home, trusting my intuition on those I should lean into and those I should avoid, making amends with people (even when it sometimes feels futile), admitting when I've screwed up, finding joy during my shows and not over analyzing every move or word, meditating though my anxiety, letting myself remain open in a society that likes to magnify and mock vulnerability, learning to just EXHALE...

"I feel so much better and finally feel the positive effects of this lifelong process," she continued. "Thank you [Erin Oprea] for teaching me that it isn't about carb paranoia or deprivation, it's about moderation and enjoyment in tandem with my hard work. I've never loved my body more because I finally feel strong in these quads. Thank you [Liz Plosser + [Womens Health Magazine] for the honor of being your June covergirl!"

Morris is currently overseas as part of her Girl: The World Tour. Find dates at her website.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/ Kevin Winter