There can never be a magic number that suits every single person and it depends on the goals you're working towards, but according to one expert three to five times a week is the minimum.
“For more experienced exercisers, I would recommend three to five times per week,” Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of New York City-based fitness training studio PhilanthroFIT, told Women’s Health.
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For best results, Doug recommends full-body strength training paired with high-intensity interval training.
“The strength component will help to develop and maintain lean muscle and bone density, while the high-intensity intervals will elevate your heart rate and challenge your cardiovascular system,” he explains.
However, a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine analysed nearly 64,000 adults and found that people had a 30 per cent lower risk of dying during the study if they hit the World Health Organisation’s recommended threshold of 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity – regardless of whether those minutes were spread between one, two, or six workouts per week. But this was compared against those who never exercised.
So the bottom line? Any exercise is better than nothing but to really see results, get your heart pumping and muscles flexing at least three to five days per week.
