{"id":613832,"date":"2026-09-04T03:56:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T03:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/613832\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T03:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T03:56:15","slug":"rachel-riley-did-100-squats-a-day-for-31-days-heres-what-happened-to-her-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/613832\/","title":{"rendered":"Rachel Riley did 100 squats a day for 31 days \u2013 here\u2019s what happened to her body"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rachel Riley completed 100 squats a day for 31 days, every day in August. The 40-year-old Countdown host took on the challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK, and 3100 squats<\/a> later, she\u2019s shared exactly how she found it \u2013 and how her body changed.<\/p>\n

\u201831 days after this I can officially say challenge completed. 100 squats a day for Cancer Research UK for the whole of August,\u2019 she says in a video on Instagram<\/a>. \u2018Congratulations if you did it too or if you gave it your best shot.\u2019<\/p>\n

She says the squat challenge<\/a> felt most difficult at the very beginning, but her body soon adjusted: \u2018I have to say, to start, my legs were on fire, but I got stronger and I completed it.\u2019 <\/p>\n

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Instagram @rachelrileyrr<\/p>\n

What she\u2019s describing is the process of her muscles adapting to the demand of 100 daily squats. When you first start doing a new exercise (or you significantly increase the volume \u2013 Riley had likely done squats before, just not 100 every day), your body isn\u2019t able to supply its muscles with the energy and oxygen it needs to feel comfortable (you may feel that burning, on \u2018fire\u2019 sensation Riley describes). But the more you train your body to do something, the more efficient and strong your muscles become, so the same physiological effort feels easier.<\/p>\n

At the halfway point of the challenge, she shared two big tips<\/a> for taking on the challenge.<\/p>\n

Number one was breaking up each daily 100 goal into smaller batches. \u2018I realised pretty quickly that 100 squats in one go was a recipe for not being able to walk, so splitting them up is working nicely for @cr_uk<\/a>\u2019s #100SquatChallenge<\/a> doing 100 squats every day in August to raise money in the fight against cancer,\u2019 she said on Instagram. <\/p>\n

Her second tip was choosing the right footwear. \u2018I\u2019m sure my squat technique<\/a> is still terrible, not aided at work by wearing heels, but hey ho, I\u2019m still going strong on day 13!\u2019 she said. \u2018My lovely colleagues kindly noted how mine resemble a certain dance move from the 2010s, IFKYK.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Riley\u2019s PT Emma Bord also took on the challenge<\/a> and shared her own top tip for motivation: multitasking. \u2018What\u2019s great is that you don\u2019t need a gym to do this one, or have loads of time. Follow me and get squatting whilst doing your daily activities or chores. Because we all love to multitask,\u2019 she said on Instagram. <\/p>\n

She shared her tips for proper form, too: \u2018Good form is key, feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly turned out, knees following the line of the toes, core engaged and chest proud, heels stay flat on the floor, slow, controlled and delicious.\u2019 <\/p>\n

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women\u2019s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo<\/a> exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan \u2013 created exclusively for Women\u2019s Health COLLECTIVE members \u2013 you\u2019ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.<\/p>\n

Get the plan<\/a><\/p>\n

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As Women\u2019s Health UK\u2019s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.<\/p>\n

After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine\u2019s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!<\/p>\n

Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner\u2019s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in <\/a>print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as \u2018Fit At Any Age\u2019, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.<\/p>\n

She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks \u2013 all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n