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The best exercise for metabolic health you can do SITTING DOWN
In a perfect world, we would never spend a single minute sitting. After all, the human body is designed to move as a natural part of daily life. Sadly, our fast-paced lives hardly accommodate time for all that, forcing us to spend an average of 10 hours a day sitting.
While the odds are against us, there’s comfort in knowing that simple, quick exercises are enough to mitigate the negative health risks associated with adopting a sedentary lifestyle. You might even like to add this exercise to your morning or afternoon routine.
At a recent meeting of the American Diabetes Association, Professor Marc Hamilton of the University of Houston revealed that performing a particular form of exercise while sitting would do more to lower blood sugar and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes than engaging in the routine of walking or running.
The muscle in question, the soleus, is situated at the back of the leg and supports our weight when we stand. Unlike most muscles, the soleus partially depends on blood glucose and lipoproteins, or fat from the blood, for fuel.
In his studies, Professor Hamilton has discovered that when a soleus muscle is activated properly, it can boost a person's metabolic health for as many hours as there are in a day, by using a completely different fuel blend than other muscles do.
According to a study published in the journal iScience, regular contractions of the soleus muscle can improve blood sugar regulation much better than traditional methods, such as dieting, weight loss, and 30 minutes of low-to-moderate-intensity daily exercise.
When tested on sedentary participants who performed the soleus pushup after drinking a high-sugar beverage, Hamilton's team found that they could decrease their blood glucose by 52% and their insulin levels by 60%.
They also found that keeping the muscle activated doubled typical rates of fat metabolism. Not too shabby!
So, how do you do a soleus push-up?
While seated, place your feet flat on the floor and your body in a relaxed position. From there, raise your heels to their full range of motion. Hold that position for a few seconds before releasing it to allow your heels to return to the ground.
Repeat the process about 10 to 15 times in a row. But before you start, make sure you have clearance from your doctor!
Always consult your doctor before performing any exercise, especially if you have diagnosed issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or a back or neck injury.
You can even do it while sitting at your desk! Image Credit: Shutterstock
‘The soleus push-up looks simple from the outside, but sometimes, what we see with our naked eye isn't the whole story. It's a very specific movement that, right now, requires wearable technology and experience to optimise the health benefits,’ explained Professor Hamilton.
‘It's much like we've discovered a new organ,’ Hamilton says. ‘Even though it's there, we've seen it, but we didn't know how to use it correctly to optimise our health.’
We hope you found this advice useful for your daily routine, members!
If you want to learn more about simple techniques that are beneficial for your health, check out this video:
in my legs and feet
I would have thrown something at him and then said , your so right
