The Seated Exercise Hack To Boost Your Metabolism: The Soleus Push Up
- Daniela Radoman
- Apr 21
- 4 min read
Sitting at your desk for work all day? Or perhaps sitting in your chair for hours on end studying for exams? Or maybe you’re always stuck in traffic commuting to work or driving kids around all the time.
If this sounds like you, then you might want to listen up.
If you’ve ever wished there was a simple way to boost your metabolism without having to hit the gym or break out in a sweat, then this little exercise can help you out.
A new study published in iScience reveals that a small but might muscle in your calf - the soleus - can help play a powerful role in regulating blood sugar, burning energy, and boosting your metabolism, all without lifting your butt off your chair1.
Say hello to the Soleus PushUp (SPU).
What is the Soleus Push Up?
Unlike traditional pushups, this version doesn’t get your upper body involved at all - so don’t worry, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Instead, the Soleus Push Up is basically just a seated calf raise.
They’re seated heel lifts that primarily target the soleus muscle, which is a calf muscle that lies under the achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle (think: the bulky part of the calf).
This muscle is responsible for pointing your toes downward, which plays a big role in walking and running. It also acts as a postural muscle since it stops your body from falling forward at the ankle.
Seeing as it’s just a seated calf raise, it sounds easy enough, but the results speak for themselves.
The Study
The paper found that when the SPUs were performed correctly and for long enough, the isolated soleus contractions can dramatically increase the oxygen consumption of the body and support metabolic function - all the while without leading to much muscle fatigue.
Some of the most exciting findings include:
Up to 2x Increase in Whole-Body Metabolism: SPU contractions approximately doubled whole-body oxygen consumption compared to resting levels, even though they target just ~1% of body weight.
Improved Blood Sugar Regulation: Participants experienced a 52% reduction in post-meal blood glucose spikes.
Less Insulin Needed: There was a 60% decrease in insulin response after a meal, indicating better insulin sensitivity.
Minimal Glycogen Use: Unlike most forms of exercise that rely on stored glycogen, the soleus mainly uses glucose as its energy source, meaning SPUs can be done for long durations without tiring out the muscle much.
Why This Matters
With our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, the risk of various diseases and conditions, like type II diabetes, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease, increases as well.
Soleus Push Ups offer a low barrier way to fight against these negative effects. (And no gym membership required!)
Since the soleus is more active when standing and mostly inactive when we sit, SPUs can reawaken this metabolic powerhouse to help out our metabolism even when we’re forced to sit at our desk jobs.
How To Do A Soleus Push Up
Sit in a chair with your knees bent to 90º and feet flat on the floor
Keep your toes and the balls of your feet on the ground.
Raise your heels slowly and then lower them, performing a rhythmic “pumping” motion.
Repeat for ~10 minute bouts, every 45 minutes or so.
Now, in this study, the participants accumulated a total of 4.5 hours of SPUs per day (while spending 7-8 hours of their day seated).
You don’t need to do 4.5 hours straight, which is why breaking it up into chunks and doing it repeatedly throughout the day is recommended.
Ultimately, consistency is key here. So doing this throughout the day, and across multiple days where you’re seated for long lengths of time, is where you’re really going to reap the benefits.
The Wrap Up
The Soleus Push Up isn’t magic, but it might just be one of the simplest and easiest ways to help your metabolic health when there isn’t much else you can do.
So the next time you’re working at your desk, watching your favourite Netflix show, or sitting on the train commuting to work, consider doing some purposeful fidgeting and crank out some Soleus Push Ups - your metabolism just might thank you.
Final Thoughts
Our goal at Delta Kinesiology is to help women reach their health and fitness goals
regardless of age, ability, or experience level. We tailor each session using evidence-based principles and methods to help you reach your goals. Whether that be going about your day pain-free, building muscle, improving stamina, or feeling better about yourself, we are here to help.
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References
Hamilton, M. T., Hamilton, D. G., & Zderic, T. W. (2022). A potent physiological method to magnify and sustain soleus oxidative metabolism improves glucose and lipid regulation. iScience, 25(9), 104869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.104869
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