2023-08-15 10:08:00
Losing weight while sitting sounds like a dream – but it’s not. A study has provided new results for the soleus muscle, confirming that a certain exercise can actually boost fat burning while sitting. We will show you how the so-called soleus push-up works. Read on now!
In the video: tips to boost fat burning
Losing weight while sitting: study with new results
The goal of weight loss can be achieved through various measures such as a diet change, lifestyle adjustment, or a fitness program. It is often the combination of these three aspects that helps us to get closer to our weight loss goal. In 2021, around 330,000 people used slimming products to help them lose weight every day or almost every day. In addition, approximately 4.12 million people showed a special interest in diets and diet products. There are a variety of slimming diets – from the low-carb diet and keto diet to the protein diet and intermittent fasting.
There are many ways to achieve your dream weight. You probably wouldn’t have expected it to be possible though, even take off while sitting. Until now, we have assumed that sitting for long periods makes it more difficult to lose weight. However, scientists at the University of Houston in Texas have made surprising findings as part of their study. They discovered that one small muscle in the calf works differently than other muscles. This muscle can contribute to fat burning and activate metabolism.
Our body is home to around 640 muscles, including many small muscles that cannot be specifically trained during sport. This includes the so-called soleus muscle or soleus muscle that extends from the bottom of the knee to the heel. The special thing about this muscle: If it is trained accordingly, it can have a significant impact on the metabolism. According to a study, anyone who consciously trains the soleus muscle should be able to boost fat burning even while sitting.
Feet up: lose weight with a simple exercise for the soleus muscle
By a Muskelbiopsie the American research team made amazing discoveries. With this examination method, tissue samples from a muscle, in this case the soleus muscle, are taken and analyzed. Unlike other muscles that normally store glycogen, the soleus muscle instead uses blood sugar and slices away. This results in glycogen levels remaining constant and therefore muscle endurance is improved. Researcher Marc Hamilton emphasized that this represents a previously unexplored opportunity to optimize our health. By activating this muscle, the local oxidative metabolism can be kept at an elevated level for hours.
“The soleus’ below-average dependence on glycogen helps it to work effortlessly for hours without tiring during this type of muscle activity,” Hamilton said in a University of Houston press release. “We never dreamed that this muscle would have this type of capacity. It’s been in our bodies all along, but no one has investigated how to get it until now to optimize our health sets in,” the researcher explained, adding, “When properly activated, the soleus muscle can drive local oxidative metabolism to high levels for hours, not just minutes.”
Soleus push-up: This is how the weight loss exercise works while sitting
Normally, the soleus muscle becomes activated when we stand or go. However, the scientists have discovered a way to train this muscle while sitting. This is how the so-called soleus push-up (SPU) is performed:
Place your feet flat on the floor and relax your leg muscles. Lift the heel while keeping the front of your foot on the floor. Once the heel is lifted as high as possible, passively release the foot and return your heel to the floor. The goal is to shorten the calf muscle while activating the soleus muscle at the same time.
The execution of the exercise is similar to a jiggling movement, but should be done much more slowly and consciously. “The Soleus push-up might look simple from the outside, but sometimes what we see with the naked eye isn’t the whole story. It’s about a very specific movement to maximize health benefits,” Hamilton explained in the publication.
In his study presentation, the scientist does not provide a direct answer as to how long or how often the soleus push-up should be performed. However, from him, longer periods of time up to four and a half hours were tested. When performed correctly, the exercise is intended to target only the soleus muscle, which weighs about a kilogram. This should neither tire nor overload the leg.
The health benefits of the soleus push-up
The researchers examined some test subjects who performed this exercise. The result was impressive: The blood sugar levels improved by a whopping 52 percent. In addition, the reduced insulin requirement by 60 percent and the fat metabolism worked twice as effectively. These positive effects lasted for a period of three hours. The University of Houston claims that with proper training or activation of this muscle, you may prevent type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even obesity. According to the research team, sitting is even more effective at activating the soleus muscle than walking or standing.
Conclusion:
So, is the soleus push-up the key for anyone looking to stay fit and lose weight in the office? Not yet, say the scientists. The reason for this is that the study was conducted under strict laboratory conditions with extensive equipment. However, the team is planning further studies to develop precise training methods so that people who want to lose weight can learn and use these exercises properly.
For Hamilton, the study results are still one milestone. He explained to the University of Houston, “All 600 muscles combined typically contribute only about 15 percent of total body oxidative metabolism in the three hours following carbohydrate ingestion. Although the soleus muscle accounts for only 1 percent of body weight, it is able to double his metabolic rate during SPU (soleus push-up) contractions, sometimes even that Triple the total body carbohydrate oxidation to increase”.
Note that this method is of course not a substitute for regular physical activity or a healthy, balanced diet. Nevertheless, the activation of this muscle is useful and especially useful for those who sit a lot in everyday life.
Also interesting: Sleep slim – that’s why night rest is important for losing weight.]
#simple #exercise #kilos #melt