Fat-Burning Sitting Exercise Lowers Blood Sugar

Lifting heels to contract a small muscle in the calf raises metabolism to high levels for hours without fatigue

Joaquin Corbalan P/Shutterstock

An experimental physiological study involving a small muscle called the soleus might be a wake-up call for anyone using their sedentary job or lifestyle as an excuse for poor metabolism.

Subjects experienced distinct health benefits—including sustained elevated oxidative metabolism—from doing “soleus pushups” for hours while sitting. The soleus, one of 600 muscles in the human body, runs from just below the knee to the heel and is one of three muscles that make up the calf.

The Soleus Pushup

This simple but impactful exercise beings by simply sitting in a chair with the knees bent at least 90 degrees.

1. Sit in a chair with the feet planted on the floor.
2. Make sure the leg is bent enough that the heel is behind the knee rather than in front of it.
3. Keep the front of the foot on the floor and lift the heel.
4. Return the heel to the floor.
5. Repeat.

A Unique Effect

The effectiveness of the exercise, detailed in the study published in iScience in September 2022, has been touted as a potential solution for the rising rates of Type 2 diabetes. About 13 percent of U.S. adults have diabetes, and more than a third meet the criteria for prediabetes. Metabolic dysfunction also increases the risk of dementia, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19 complications.