- I tried doing 100 squats every day for 30 days, otherwise known as the 100-squat challenge from Blogilates.
- I learned it didn’t take very long to do each day.
- Though I was skeptical I would see any difference, I was surprised that I saw results.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
As an active person who has already integrated workouts into my everyday lifestyle, I had never really felt the need to do an exercise challenge. I box three times a week, do yoga or Pilates on my rest days, and try to hike or climb on the weekends.
But after switching boxing gyms and feeling as if I was focusing less on my legs, the idea of a squat challenge intrigued me. The only problem: I had trouble finding a squat challenge that actually seemed like a challenge for me.
After a bit of searching Google and Pinterest, I found the Blogilates 100-squat challenge. Thirty days, 30 types of squats, and 100 squats a day felt like a satisfying achievement. So for one entire month, I did 100 squats every day.
Here’s what I learned.
It doesn't take very long
Doing a hundred squats sounds like a lot. And it is, but it took only three to five minutes a day for me to complete.
Some days, I could do two sets of 50. Toward the end, as the squats got harder and more complex, I could do only sets of 25. But overall, the challenge took less time than I was anticipating each day.
Read more: 6 of the most effective ways to modify squats
Moving during the day helped my brain wake up (and kept me from snacking)
I am a napper. I get extremely sleepy at about 3 p.m., especially at my desk-chained office job. To get through the last two hours of the day, I usually reach for a snack. When I have good self-control it's a handful of almonds; when I don't, it's chocolate-covered almonds and a Clif Bar and maybe a doughnut.
But I found that if instead I did my 100 squats during that afternoon dip, the movement and excursion would wake up my brain, and I wouldn't have to reach for my afternoon snack as desperately. It was energizing and gave me something to break up my day when my mind was pooped.
It's a routine I would like to continue even if instead of 100 squats it's just a walk around the block.
Read more: You're probably squatting wrong, according to Ellie Goulding's personal trainer
You'll get some odd looks if you try the challenge in public
Because I ended up doing most of my squats at work, I became a bit of a spectacle to my coworkers. When I told them I was doing 100 squats, they would be surprised and impressed and sometimes audibly groan at the thought.
In the beginning, I would suggest they join me, hoping to create an accountability community, but that got only wry smiles and a quick turn back to their screens.
I realized the challenge was going to be hard considering a backpacking trip I was planning at the same time. That said, it was an easy way to exercise wherever you go.
There were only three days when I dreaded my 100 squats: during my 27-mile backpacking trip in Yosemite.
The last thing I wanted to do after hiking 7 miles to a beautiful mountain lake was 100 squats. I ended up splitting them up, first doing 50 in the morning before packing up camp. These were useful. They helped stretch and warm up my legs and combated soreness from the day before. The 25 at lunch and 25 at dinner were a struggle but took only about 30 seconds each, so it was manageable.
Read more: 8 signs you're working out too hard
Squats are an incredibly accessible exercise, which made the challenge much more doable. I didn't need any equipment and could do them anywhere on the go.
"Squats are one of the most important exercises for maintaining strength and independence as you age," the physical therapist Jared Vagy told Insider. "The squat motion is involved in most daily activities: getting in and out of a chair, picking objects off of the floor, climbing stairs, or stepping up a curb. Squats strengthen the key muscles and can improve your function and decrease your risk of falls."
I actually saw changes
If I am honest, I didn't expect to notice any visible changes. For an activity that took only minutes, I was surprised when I started to see increased definition around my thighs. As early as day nine, I looked in the mirror during my routine and saw a difference. I took measurements of my legs and butt at the start and end but did not get any quantifiable change in circumference, but I do think there was more visible definition not reflected by those numbers.
Read more: 15 fitness 'tips' that are doing more harm than good
Even before the squat challenge, I had integrated tips from an Outside magazine article on moving three hours a day. I try to use the stairs when going between floors in my office. If I need to chat with a coworker, I will walk to the person's desk instead of emailing. I avoid the escalators on public transportation. The squats were one more way to add some movement into the ever-increasing sedentary lifestyle of a working adult.
And if they made my legs look a little better and helped keep me active, I call the challenge a success.