Personal trainer Rachael Attard shares exactly how to banish cellulite and fat from your legs 

A personal trainer who is responsible for transforming the physiques of thousands around the world has shared her simple method to banishing fat and cellulite from your legs.

Rachael Attard, from Sydney, said many of her clients struggle with ‘stubborn fat’ and cellulite on their thighs and glutes.

And while it is impossible to spot reduce that fat, there are certain steps you can take in order to minimise the appearance of fat and cellulite overall.

‘Women store more fat in the hip and thigh area because it’s how our bodies are designed,’ Rachael posted on Instagram.

‘Our bodies are made to carry babies and having more fat here is beneficial for pregnancy.’

She said even though we aren’t ‘pregnant for much of our lives, or even at all’, our hormones ‘do dictate where our bodies store fat’. 

In order to reduce fat and cellulite appearance overall, the PT recommends you incorporate as much walking as possible into your day; ideally 10,000 steps a day (pictured before and after)

WALKING 

In order to reduce fat and cellulite appearance overall, the PT recommends you incorporate as much walking as possible into your day.

Rachael aims for 10,000 steps a day at least five times a week.

‘The reason why walking works so well for getting rid of inner thigh fat and fat from your legs is because walking is a low intensity aerobic exercise, and that means it uses stored fat as its main fuel for your workout,’ Rachael said.

She added that walking can help to create a ‘thigh gap’, which many women seek to achieve – but this does depend on the width of your hips as it’s easier to get with wider hips.

Rachael said as well as walking, some resistance training four times a week either with your own body weight or dumbbells will help (transformation from her program pictured)

RESISTANCE TRAINING

Rachael’s second tip is resistance training, which she said you should do four times a week. 

‘Resistance training will help reduce cellulite and tone your legs,’ she said.

This can be body weight exercises or lifting weights. She particularly loves to do planks and mountain climbers.

EAT AT MAINTENANCE OR DEFICIT

Elsewhere, Rachael recommends eating ‘at maintenance level’ or in a slight calorie deficit if you want to lose weight.

Eating in a calorie deficit means eating slightly fewer calories than you are burning.

Eating for maintenance means eating a specific number of calories per day in order to maintain your weight without putting it on. 

‘When it comes to your diet, eating at a calorie deficit will help you slim down your thighs quicker,’ Rachael said.

‘But it’s not necessary. As long as you’re not eating in a calorie surplus or more than your body needs, you will be able to see results with regular walks and the right type of resistance training.’ 

The PT (pictured) said you need to sort out any gut or hormone issues, which might be as simple as just fixing your sleep

SORT GUT AND HORMONE ISSUES

Finally, Rachael recommends you heal ‘any gut or hormone issues as a priority’. 

This could be as simple as addressing your sleep in order to make sure you get eight hours every night or introducing a pre and probiotic into your diet. 

Thousands who saw Rachael’s post were quick to thank her for sharing her advice.

‘I agree on the walking! I started fast walking for 40-60 mins a day at least five days a week last summer and it definitely improved the appearance of my legs,’ one woman wrote.

Another added: ‘Thank you! I have a really hard time with cellulite. I’m finally in a place where I know it’s normal to have it, but I have a tendency to gain it quite excessively when I put on some weight (even just a few pounds)’.

A third simply wrote: ‘Thank you for sharing’. 

Rachael Attard (pictured) from Sydney said you only need to work out three or four times a week for 30 minutes in order to see results at the gym

Previously, Rachael shared why 30 minutes three or four times a week is the ‘magic’ number of workouts you should do each week for a toned body – and why any longer than this is just a waste of time. 

Rachael said she used to ‘go to the gym for an hour or more six days a week’, and favoured ‘super intense workouts’ and hard sessions.

But while she worked out ‘harder than anybody I knew, I didn’t look like it’.

She has since discovered that a more gentle and balanced approach to exercise is far better for staying in shape. 

These days, Rachael (pictured) favours Pilates, yoga, short (high intensity interval training) sessions and light weights

These days, Rachael favours Pilates, yoga, short (high intensity interval training) sessions and light weights.

She also doesn’t work out more than five times each week. 

‘Overtraining, plus high stress from work, lack of sleep and no down time didn’t do my body any favours,’ Rachael recalled. 

‘Now, I really only work out for 30 minutes three or four times per week, plus I try to walk as much as I can, and I have never been in better shape.

‘I also have so much more energy,’ she added.