The soleus muscle is a powerful muscle located in the calf region of the lower leg. It is found underneath the gastroc muscle. It is responsible for plantar flexion or pointing the foot downward, and it plays a critical role in everyday activities such as walking, running, balancing, and jumping. However, the soleus muscle is often overlooked in many workout routines despite its importance. That's where the soleus muscle push-up comes in. A soleus muscle push-up targets the soleus muscle by placing the feet flat on the ground and sitting with your knees at an angle of 90. This position helps isolate the soleus muscle during the push-up, effectively targets the muscle, and improves glucose utilization, causing the lowering effect. To perform a soleus muscle push-up, sit and place your feet flat, then raise your heels off the ground. Pointing toes to the ground and ankle forward. The tendency is to squeeze the big gastroc muscle but resist this. Emphasis is on pointing toes downwards and ankles forward. With regular practice, you will begin to notice the difference. Important to do this seated because any other way places more weight on your lower extremity, and the tendency is to activate more muscle groups that depend on stored glycogen. The Soleus lowers blood sugar by its' inability to store glycogen or significantly reduced levels, so it gets its source of energy/fuel directly from the bloodstream, the glucose, lowering it as it consumes the excess blood sugar. Soleus push-ups, done correctly and consistently, will help anyone, including people with diabetes, to reduce their blood sugar effectively. However, this does not constitute you are coming off your medications if you are already taking blood sugar-lowering medication. This is just one more arsenal to manage blood sugar levels. Incorporating soleus muscle push-ups into your workout routine can help to improve lower leg strength, as well as overall balance and stability. This exercise is especially beneficial for people with a sedentary lifestyle, in jobs requiring prolonged periods of inactivity or long plane flights. In conclusion, the soleus muscle push-up is a simple yet effective way to target the often-overlooked soleus muscle. Incorporating this exercise into your workout routine can help to improve blood sugar, raise metabolic rate, and increase lower leg strength, balance, and stability.
