Did you know that you have a second “heart,” and it’s in the calf muscles? Of course, this is a metaphor; we don’t really have a second heart located there. The reason doctors call the calf muscles “the second heart” is that they help pump blood out of the lower legs back to the heart, which is important for circulation. In addition, exercising the muscles can help lower blood sugar levels.
What do the Calf Muscles do?
While the heart pumps blood to the entire body, the calf muscles pump blood from the legs back to the heart, eliminating toxins through the lungs, kidneys, and liver.
How to Activate Your Second Heart
The easiest way to activate your calf muscles is to exercise them, and you can even do it while sitting. Below are some of the calf exercises you can perform:
Types of Calf Exercises
- Standing Calf Raises
- Calf press on leg press machine
- Donkey calf raises
- Calf jumps
- Box jump
The exercises above involve raising the calves, but other exercises that engage these muscles include
- Jumping rope
- Running, walking, and hiking
- Step class
- Lunges
How Calf Exercises Help Diabetes
Calf exercises not only increase circulation but also help with diabetes. Research shows that doing soleus push-ups, a seated heel raise, lowers blood sugar by increasing glucose uptake into the muscles. The soleus is a powerful muscle in the back of the calf.
In a test performed at the University of Houston, soleus push-ups increased oxygen consumption, elevated muscle metabolism, and improved insulin sensitivity (https://stories.uh.edu/2022-soleus-pushup/index.html).
Professor Marc Hamilton, one of the study’s authors, states, “We never dreamed that this muscle has this type of capacity. It’s been inside our bodies all along, but no one ever investigated how to use it to optimize our health, until now.”
This exercise is great for those who are sedentary or have a job that requires sitting for a long time.
Man Shares How Seated Calf Raises Reduced His A1C
In this amazing article, a man describes how he reduced his A1C from 6.1 to 5.4 by doing calf raises: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/diabetes-are-calf-raises-effective-in-lowering-blood-sugar-levels-man-shares-how-this-simple-exercise-helped-him/articleshow/122054735.cms
Another Calf Exercise that is Good for Lowering Blood Sugar
Another exercise that works the calf muscles is squats. Squat exercises involve lowering and raising the body by bending the knees. You can perform them standing or sitting.
Research shows squats are better than walking for blood sugar control. In a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, researchers showed that walkers and squatters experienced a 21% reduction in blood sugar spikes compared to a sitting group, but that squatting is more effective than walking for managing blood sugar levels. The study also reveals that doing 10 squats every 45 minutes makes a noticeable difference in blood sugar (https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/squats-walking-better-blood-sugar-120038711.html).
In another article that cites the research, Megan Koehn, a registered dietician, states, “Movements that engage lower body muscles are highly effective at lowering blood sugar and burning calories,” she said. “The muscles in our legs, glutes, and hips are the largest in the body but also among the most powerful. Their size and strength allow for greater calorie burn and glucose utilization during exercise. This is why they can make impactful changes in overall metabolism and energy expenditure“ (https://www.newsweek.com/how-100-body-squats-can-change-your-health-1972103).
The 45 Variations of Squats
It may surprise you that there are many types of squats for you to try. For example, in addition to the basic squat, there is also the wall squat, side squat, and plié squat. Read this article for the 45 variations of squats with pictures: https://www.healthline.com/health/squat-variations#bodyweight-squats
Other Benefits of Calf Exercises
According to this article in WebMD (https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/strengthening-calf-muscles) calf exercises also improve flexibility, posture, balance, and lower the risk of injuries. And another reason to engage your calf muscles is that when you have weak calf muscles, other parts of your legs, such as the Achilles tendon, have to work harder. The article also gives safety guidelines, such as staying hydrated, moving slowly, and being mindful of old injuries.
Conclusion
Exercise your second heart; it may help lower your blood sugar and improve blood circulation.
Quote
