Losing weight while sitting: The sloth’s workout

Small exercise – big effect
Losing weight while sitting: The sloth’s workout

We admit it: we hate sports! And that’s exactly why we love a new study by US researchers. According to them, we can lose weight while sitting – thanks to a simple little exercise.

Our favorite pants pinch and we don’t really feel comfortable in our own skin right now. A two pounds could now slowly disappear again, but to make a lot of effort for it now? Phew, not so keen on it. Do you feel the same? Do you also find it so difficult to get your butt off and finally do sports? Then just stay seated! At least that’s what researchers at the University of Houston would tell us. Because they have with the help of a study discovered, that a certain muscle can boost metabolism and fat burning. And to activate it, we just have to do a little exercise – while sitting! It really doesn’t get any easier than that…

fat eaters ahead

But what is that miracle muscle that is supposed to help us achieve our dream figure in the future? The focus of the study was the so-called soleus muscle, which is one of the rear leg muscles. It runs slightly below the knee to the heel. And the soleus muscle is a real little powerhouse! Most muscles use stored carbohydrates in the form of so-called glycogen to generate energy during exercise. Not so with the soleus muscle: when activated, it attacks blood sugar and fats instead – and thus boosts the metabolism and fat burning. “When properly activated, the soleus muscle can keep local oxidative metabolism running at high levels for hours, not just minutes,” explains researcher Marc Hamilton in one press release the University. The researchers discovered this effect using muscle biopsies.

And the soleus muscle has another advantage: Normally, our endurance during sport depends on how well our glycogen stores are filled. The emptier they are, the faster the muscles tire. However, because the soleus muscle doesn’t use much glycogen, it doesn’t break down as quickly. Or, as Hamilton puts it more formally, “The soleus’ below-average dependence on glycogen helps it to effortlessly work for hours without tiring during this type of muscular activity.”

The test subjects in the study improved their blood sugar rash by 52 percent with exercise and their insulin requirements decreased by 60 percent. the According to Hamilton and his team, the lipid metabolism of the test subjects also worked twice as effectively which reduced the fat content in the blood.

feet up! With this exercise you activate the miracle muscle

Since we can just sit and sit during the exercise to activate the soleus muscle, even the laziest of us should now have no excuse not to exercise. Here’s how to do the exercise, which the researchers call the “soleus push-up,” for sitting down:

Sounds pretty easy at first, doesn’t it? However, Hamilton and his team point out that that the study was carried out under laboratory conditions and under the strict observation of experts. If you want to try the exercise, you should first practice it under the guidance of a trainer with the appropriate experience. Next, the researchers want to look at how laypersons can best practice the exercise without further instructions. We’ll stay seated for a while…

Sources: stories.uh.edu, sciencedirect.com

Bridget