While we fully understand the benefits of walking for seniors, there are some older adults who simply can’t manage to get outside for a stroll every day. That is why some new studies regarding the soleus muscle have garnered so much attention from those who work with seniors. It appears that simple exercises – performed sitting down – are proving to lower blood sugar and help to prevent Type 2 diabetes. Performing these specialized exercises involves using a muscle in your lower leg to boost. The study was performed at the University of Houston and published in the journal iScience.

The research indicates that one specific leg exercise actually improves blood sugar regulation better than more traditional methods, including weight loss, diet, and 30 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity daily exercise. The study author refers to this metabolism-boosting exercise as the “soleus pushup,” but it doesn’t resemble the pushup we all know – this one is performed while sitting down. This is great news not only for seniors but for the millions of Americans who spend an average of 10 hours a day sitting down.

What is the Soleus Muscle?

The soleus muscle plays a vital role in daily activities such as walking and running, although its most significant role is to keep someone upright while standing. The soleus muscle is located at the back of the lower part of the leg. Unlike most muscles that utilize stored carbohydrates for fuel, the soleus doesn’t depend entirely on intramuscular glycogen. Instead, it uses glucose, and blood fats called lipoproteins from the blood. The study points out that when activated correctly, the soleus muscle can raise local oxidative metabolism to high levels for hours, not just minutes, and does so by using a different fuel mixture. This means that sedentary study participants who performed the soleus pushup after drinking a glucose mixture saw their blood glucose decrease by about 52% after just a single session of soleus muscle contractions. The research also revealed that the exercise lowered the amount of pancreatic insulin by 60%.

University of Houston professor of Health and Human Performance Marc Hamilton, Ph.D. says, “The magnitude rivals what you would see in the hours after exercise or any other type of therapy. We don’t know of any therapeutic approach, even the strongest pharmaceuticals, that comes close to raising metabolic rate as much as activating 1% of your body’s weight through sustained soleus contractions.”

In addition, the research revealed that activating the soleus muscle effectively doubled the typical rate of fat metabolism, lowering levels of triglycerides in the blood.

How to Do a Soleaus Pushup: Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your body relaxed. Keeping the front of your foot on the floor, raise your heels to their full range of motion. Release to allow your heels to return to the floor. And repeat.

That’s it! The reason why this discovery has so much promise for seniors is that it provides adults who cannot exercise or have mobility issues a way to combat their blood sugar issues. With results that rival that of much more strenuous exercises, the soleus muscle protocol allows chair-bound seniors to lower blood sugar and fight against Type -2 diabetes.

A Banyan Residence is an assisted living and memory care center located in The Villages. We take great pride in helping our residents to live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. We’d love to meet you and your family – call today for an appointment and tour.