You may not need to have the calves of a rugby player, but you can still try to develop good calf muscles if you want to avoid heart attacks or maintain your blood sugar levels. This is especially true for those who sit and work at these desks all day long, which increases their changes of heart ailments. But there is a very simple fix and it is calf raise.
Calf raise or the soleus push-up is simply about rising up onto your toes, then slowly return to the starting position. That's it. It's that simple. It's like standing on your toes as if you were wearing heels.
But this simple calf-strengthening exercise can be great for your heart. Calves have muscles which pump blood to the heart. When these muscles contract, they push deoxygenated blood back up to the heart via veins.
Blood has to work against gravity to work its way up to the heart so weak calves can disrupt the process. Weak calf muscles leads to increased pressure on the veins and even poor circulation, and hence, the need for calf raises. It uses your body weight to strengthen and tone the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles which make up your calves.
Engaging the soleus muscle in the calf lowers blood sugar and causes little fatigue even when done for long periods, research has proven. The great thing about this movement is you can perform it anytime and anywhere, even if you're seated.
They tone your legs and you can do them anywhere, even under the desk.
Start standing on a stair or step. Keeping the ball of your foot on the stair, let your heel drop down below the step. Then, press up as high as you can. For added intensity, hold dumbbells if you want added weight.
If you're at work, sit on a firm, sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your knees aligned directly over your feet. Don't let your knees turn in or out.
Lean forward, place your hands on your thighs near your knees, and push down to add some resistance. If you're sitting, you can also hold some dumbbells on top of your thighs as you sit and do them raises.
If you're a regular gym-goer, you can also use the hack squat machine with some weight for added intensity.
Calf raises also help strengthen your pelvic floor. The nerves that innervate the muscle bulk in the calf that are activated during this exercise also innervate our pelvic floor. When we activate these nerves, our pelvic floor also gets simultaneously engaged.
If your calf strength is low, go for activities like running, walking, and hiking to build your calves. But if you're simply trying to lower blood sugar levels after big meals, try helping around the house with chores, do some gardening or walk up and down the stairs to help beat those sugar cravings.
Next time, you're reaching for that chocolate right after a lunch, do 20 calf raises first and see if that makes a difference.
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