Rachel Riley, 40, has revealed she’s completing a squat challenge: doing 11 squats every day in August to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
The Countdown host announced she would be taking on the challenge on Instagram: ‘I’m taking part in Cancer Research UK’s 100 squats challenge and I’d love for you to join me. The best bit is you don’t have to do them all at once – you can fit them in wherever you can, so whether you’re in the garden, or playing padel, or doing the weekly shop, you can get your squats in.
‘I’m doing it for my favourite slap head who’s beaten cancer, for a family member who’s still fighting it, and for little Sam who sadly recently lost his battle but he left a big impression with everyone who knew him. Every squat helps raise money for life-saving cancer research, so sign up for your free Cancer Research UK T-shirt and let’s squat our way through August together – who’s in?’
Instagram @rachelrileyrr
Rachel Riley’s squat challenge tips and progress
Now, with half of the challenge done, Riley has some tips. ‘I’m nearly halfway through August’s 100 squats a day challenge for Cancer Research UK,’ she said in another Instagram post. ‘What these are, are wholesome squats for charity; what these aren’t are slut squats, whatever my production team might say.’
Do smaller batches each day to avoid muscle soreness
‘I 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’s #100SquatChallenge doing 100 squats every day in August to raise money in the fight against cancer.’
Your footwear will impact your technique
‘I’m sure my squat technique is still terrible, not aided at work by wearing heels, but hey ho, I’m still going strong on day 13! My lovely colleagues kindly noted how mine resemble a certain dance move from the 2010s, IFKYK.’
What a squat challenge will do for your body
If Riley’s challenge has inspired you, there’s good reason to try it yourself – not least for raising money for charity.
It will build full-body muscle
‘The squat is such a popular strength movement as it involves working several muscles and joints working together at once,’ says personal trainer Sam McGowan. ‘There are only a few [compound] movements that have such an effect.’
It will make you stronger
McGowan adds: ‘Using both upper, lower and core muscles throughout the squat will help you not just with day-to-day activities such as walking, climbing stairs, lifting, bending or carrying but it will also help us with our physical performance.’
It will make you more mobile
Studies show that squats are a form of mobility training as well as strength training: moving repeatedly through a deep range of motion (going as low as you can without compromising your form) can help you build strength and control at the end ranges of your hips, knees and ankles.
It will build your core strength
Every squat is a mini core workout: your abs, obliques and lower-back muscles have to switch on to stabilise your trunk as you lower into a squat, then lift your body. Studies have found squats can produce substantial activation of these muscles, particularly when weight is added.
Do I need to do 100 a day?
If 100 sounds like a lot per day, it is. The good news is McGowan says you don’t need that many to reap the benefits. In fact, rather than doing daily squats at all, giving your muscles time to rest between squat days is best. As a rule of thumb, take a least a day off in between squat-heavy workouts, or train other muscle groups like upper body or core.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll 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.
As Women’s Health UK’s 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.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – 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.