100 Squats a Day to Keep the Doctor Away

 

Imagine if you were told that doing just ten squats every hour might dramatically improve your health. Sounds too simple to be true, right? But according to new research, it might be one of the most powerful habits you can build, especially if you spend most of your day sitting.

We often think of exercise as the golden ticket to health. You get to the gym, smash out a session, tick the box, and then sit back, literally, for the rest of the day. But here’s the kicker: that one hour of training doesn’t cancel out the negative effects of sitting for eight, ten, or even twelve hours straight. Your gym workout is great, but it doesn’t undo what happens when you’re sedentary the rest of the time. In fact, new research suggests that something as simple as doing ten bodyweight squats every 45 minutes could have a greater impact on your metabolic health than a single 30-minute walk.

Sounds wild, right? But the science is in, and it’s a wake-up call for anyone living the classic desk-bound lifestyle.

Humans Weren’t Designed to Sit All Day

Our bodies are built for movement. For most of human history, we hunted, gathered, climbed, walked, and squatted. Resting meant perching on a rock, not collapsing into a plush office chair. But modern life has turned us into professional sitters. We sit to eat, work, drive, relax, and even exercise (hello, seated machines).

Here’s the problem: when we sit for too long, muscle activity in the lower body slows to a crawl. Blood flow stagnates. Glucose metabolism (how your body handles blood sugar) becomes sluggish. Over time, this contributes to weight gain, muscle loss, postural issues, chronic pain, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Even worse? A single workout doesn’t cancel out these effects. You might feel good about your morning sweat session (and rightly so), but if you then sit at your desk for the next eight hours straight, you’re still racking up health risks.

Squat Breaks Beat Long Walks

A 2024 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports drilled into this issue. Researchers looked at how overweight and obese men responded to different types of movement breaks during prolonged sitting.

They compared two scenarios:

1. Short, frequent breaks: Ten bodyweight squats or short walks every 45 minutes.
   

2. One continuous 30-minute walk during the day.
   
   

Guess which one improved blood sugar control more? The short, frequent breaks won. Hands down.

These small bursts of movement throughout the day significantly reduced post-meal glucose spikes. The study showed that transitioning from sitting to movement regularly, especially using large muscle groups like your thighs and glutes, led to better metabolic outcomes than a single longer bout of exercise.

Why? Because the intensity of muscle activation during frequent squat breaks was higher. These mini-sessions kept muscles engaged and blood sugar in check.

“Ten Squats an Hour” – A Habit That Could Save Your Life

It’s simple. Every 45–60 minutes, stand up and:

• Do 10 bodyweight squats, or
  
• Take a 2–3 minute walk, or
• Perform 15–20 calf raises, or
  
• March on the spot or step side-to-side.

You don’t need activewear. You don’t need to sweat. You just need to interrupt the sitting.

Here’s how it helps:

• Boosts muscle activity in the glutes, quads and calves.
  
• Improves blood glucose control throughout the day.
  
• Enhances circulation and prevents stiffness or brain fog.
  
• Reduces long-term health risks like diabetes and heart disease.
  
  

Can’t I Just Exercise More Instead?

Unfortunately, no. The study reinforces what many others have found: you can’t out-train sitting. Extended sedentary time is an independent health risk, even for people who exercise regularly.

It’s not about choosing between gym sessions or movement breaks. It’s about doing both.

Your gym workout improves fitness, strength, and endurance. But it doesn’t make up for ten hours in a chair. That’s where squat breaks come in; they fill the gaps and keep your system running smoothly all day.

How to Build the Habit

⏱ Set a recurring reminder on your phone or smart watch.

🚰 Pair it with daily habits- do squats after each glass of water or with every snack. Nothing beats a Chief Collagen Bar during squat time!

📺 Move during ad breaks or in between Netflix episodes.

👬 Get colleagues or friends on board- turn it into a fun challenge.

📒 Track your breaks in a journal or notes app.

If you work at a desk, this could be the best health upgrade you make this year. No gym required, no sweaty clothes, no extra time; just a few mindful minutes each hour.

The big lesson here? Your health isn’t just shaped by what you do at the gym; it’s shaped by what you do in between.

We weren’t meant to sit still all day. But you don’t have to overhaul your life to fix it. You just have to move more, more often. A few squats here, a short walk there; it all adds up.

So go ahead. Stand up. Do ten squats. Repeat every hour.

Your future self will thank you.

 

References: 

Gao, Y., Li, Q.Y., Finni, T., & Pesola, A.J. (2024). Enhanced muscle activity during interrupted sitting improves glycaemic control in overweight and obese men. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38629807/