Modern people who spend a lot of time sitting down are prone to slow metabolism and are at risk of various adult diseases.
Knowing this, there are definitely people who have to sit down and work. A research presentation for them was recently held at the University of Houston, USA.
Researchers led by Professor Mark Hamilton, PhD in biology at the University of Houston, presented a simple exercise called ‘soleus push-up’. This is an effective movement that can increase your metabolic rate even while sitting.
The soleus muscle, also known as the splenic muscle, is a muscle used when standing or walking. It is located on the calf, which runs from the knee to the heel.
While most other muscles use carbohydrates (glycogen) as an energy source, the soleus muscles use glucose and fat as energy sources.
Therefore, unlike other muscles that depend on carbohydrates, it has the advantage that fatigue does not come easily even following long hours of exercise.
Even the soleus muscles can be exercised by simply lifting and lowering the heel while sitting, rather than standing or walking.
These soleus pushups boost your metabolism for hours, lower your blood sugar and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
In fact, in the study, through an experiment, it was revealed that ‘soleus muscle push-up’ helps to lower blood triglyceride levels by doubling the fat metabolism rate between meals and during non-meal times.
In addition, blood sugar decreased by 52% and insulin by 60% for 3 hours following consuming the glucose drink.
Considering that the soleus muscle is only regarding 1% of the total muscle mass, it is remarkable that blood sugar control and metabolism improvement can be greatly achieved by exercising only in a local area.
It is also good news for modern people that you can see the effects of exercise such as fat burning and blood sugar control while sitting.
1. Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and in good posture.
2. Keeping your toes on the floor, lift only your heels.
3. After lifting the heel as much as possible, return to the original position following a while.
4. Repeat the above operation.
