This is the magic number of times you need to work out per week

• Rachael Attard says all you need to do is work out for 30 minutes three times a week.
• She spent over an hour at the gym, six times a week, vainly slanging it.

Personal trainers explain why 3-4 30-minute workouts a week are the “magic” number of times you should do each week to stay toned, and why longer is a waste of time. I’m explaining.

Rachael Attard, from Sydney, used to “go to the gym for an hour or more six days a week”, preferring “very intense workouts” and hard sessions.

But she “worked harder than anyone I knew, but I didn’t look like it.”

She has since found that doing gentler, more balanced exercise does a much better job of staying in shape.

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These days, Rachel prefers Pilates, yoga, short (high-intensity interval training) sessions, and light weights.

She also doesn’t exercise more than five times a week.

“The high stress from work, the lack of sleep and the lack of downtime, along with overtraining, did nothing for my body,” recalls Rachel.

“I now only exercise for 30 minutes three to four times a week, plus I walk as much as I can, and I am in better shape than ever before.

“I also have more energy,” she added.

PT advised her followers that they don’t have to work out “crazy” to get results.

Instead, it’s much more important to focus on the “right type of training.”

Her favorite moves include planks and climbing, which are full-body exercises. Neither require equipment.

Rachel is also a big fan of walking, which has benefits for both mind and body.

Previously, PT shared five simple ways you can rebalance your hormones for the healthiest year yet.

1. Get eight hours of sleep

Rachel first said that the key to rebalancing your hormones is to focus on quality eye closure for as many nights as possible.

Personal trainers recommend 8 hours, but anything between 7 and 9 hours is said to allow your body to recover lost muscle fibers and replenish itself for the next day. .

“Lack of sleep leads to more snacking and a slower metabolism,” says Rachel. Said.

“Worse than this, however, it directly affects two weight-loss hormones: ghrelin and leptin.

“Ghrelin signals your brain to tell you when to eat. Leptin tells your brain that you are full.

“When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more ghrelin and less leptin. As a result, you feel hungrier and may end up eating more than you need.

PT recommends turning off technology at the same time each night so you can set a sleep schedule and get the eye closure you need.

You can also take a hot shower about an hour before bedtime to help you feel like you’re falling asleep, and drink chamomile tea to calm your central nervous system.

2. Work on your gut health

The second thing to consider if you want to rebalance your hormones is your gut health.

Rachel listed signs of a healthy bowel, including eating any food without feeling gassed, bloated, or having problems with bowel movements.

The PT recommends taking probiotics and supplements for gut health, but says product quality is key.

“To find a good probiotic, I would recommend having at least 10 strains of bacteria, at least 30 billion CFU (or more) of bacteria, with a number and letter after each probiotic strain. Recommended.

She also said it’s important to find something to calm you down if you’re stressed, “even if it’s just 10 minutes a day.”

3. Avoid sugar

Rachel says that just like you work on your gut health, reducing your sugar intake automatically puts your hormones in better shape.

She aims to use as little processed sugar as possible, instead using only sugar from fruits, a more natural alternative.

“The easiest way to cut sugar is to make a weekly effort to cut sugar from one meal at a time,” said Rachel.

“For example, if you typically eat cereal for breakfast, have a whole meal of toast with a healthy smoothie, oats, or omelet. please.

PT said doing it this way will slowly and gradually cut the sugar out until you reach a point where you don’t even realize you’re not eating sugar.

4. Eat more healthy fats

Instead of sugar, Rachel recommends adding healthy fats to your diet, such as those found in avocados, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish for those with hormonal imbalances.

“Good fats are essential for many health reasons, including enabling cell growth, hormone production, and absorption of some vitamins (A, D, E, K),” says Rachael. I’m here.

“Good fats are also an excellent source of energy and help keep you feeling fuller for longer.”

5. Reduce stress

Finally, and most importantly, Rachel said the main key to rebalancing hormones is reducing the overall stress load and stress on the body.

“Stress isn’t just mental,” she said.

“There are many other factors that stress the body: constant busyness, overtraining, binge eating, travelling, emotional issues, perfectionism, and gut problems.”