OUR SECOND HEART <3
Every person has two personal doctors, your right leg and your left.
Moving our body has been a staple of our health all of human existence. Especially movements that use our legs. In particular movement of your lower legs — your calf.
When we use this muscle it becomes a powerful pump like a mini-heart returning venous blood back to the heart and improving circulation. It comprises about 1% of our musculature yet is a powerful auxiliary pump and a metabolic furnace. It improves circulatory, endocrine, and mitochondrial systems.
This powerful little muscle is approximately 88% type I slow twitch fibers giving it fatigue resistance. The muscle fibers are densely populated with a capillary network providing oxygen delivery efficiently even during sustained aerobic load. It can contract continuously for hours without fatigue; burning blood sugar and fats bypassing the normal metabolic pathways that rely on glycogen. It prefers to use circulating sugars and fatty acids right from the bloodstream improving blood sugars and triglycerides. The more you use it, the better your lipid profile will become.
It also contains blood storage pockets called venous sinuses that store extra blood when you’re resting and then squeeze it forcefully upward toward your heart with each step you take. It pumps blood at a higher rate than your heart with pressures exceeding 200mmHg (a normal blood pressure is about 120 mmHg) —enough pressure to propel blood through a series of one way valves while overcoming venous resistance and gravity. It is so powerful it can move about 2 oz of blood with a single contraction, increasing venous return by 300%.
It’s mitochondrial density rivals that of the heart giving a massive oxidative capacity enabling continuous ATP production. And due to the high proportion of slow-twitch fibers, engaging your soleus enhances mitochondrial health by promoting and improving oxidative metabolism — give you more stamina and reducing fatigue.
Do you experience light headedness or dizziness when you bend over or stand up quickly? Time to train your soleus muscle — it is the primary muscle to prevent postural hypotension by maintaining blood flow to the brain. Because it sustains returned blood flow toward the brain it may be the next muscle getting attention to reveres cognitive decline!
This amazing muscle reduces blood sugar spikes by 52% and slashes insulin requirements by 60% — and can do this while seated!
Enter the “Soleus Push-up” (aka SPU) – the new push up on the block.
Simply sit with your feet flat on the floor, press the balls of your feet toward the floor as you lift and lower your heels. Thats it. You’ll elevate your whole body metabolism while your burn off blood sugars!
The flurry of studies coming out using a mixture of soleus push ups and walking tout a blunting of post prandial sugar spikes, enhanced glucose uptake persisting 2-3 hours post exercise, and improved whole body insulin sensitivity. This simple technique will also help to prevent blood clots.
“The study found that 130 mins of sustained SPUs burned around 200 calories, while 270 mins burned around 400 calories[3]. It also found that the movement reduced VLDL, or ‘bad cholesterol’, and can help prevent muscle metabolism during long periods of inactivity, and preserve skeletal muscle[3]. The SPU was also found to help in regulating glucose levels and glucose metabolism[3].
Another study suggested that frequent leg fidgeting, such as the SPU, could be used to prevent impaired central and peripheral cardiovascular function due to sitting and ingesting high-fat meals[4].” From: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Soleus_Push_Up
This comes as a sigh of relief for those stuck to desk jobs. Seated heel raises for 2-3 minutes each hour showed improved metabolism and less edema. Later studies are suggesting to work toward continuous soleus movement whenever seated —not stopping for more than 4 minutes at a time. (I have been experimenting with this, it does take some attention away from my work/focus, but perhaps over time that will diminish.)
If you have a standing desk add periodic calf raises to improve postural variety and Soleus engagement.
Epiphany — rocking chairs! Use your soleus to rock the chair and you are essentially doing a soleus push-up. I have recently changed my “relaxation chair” to a rocking chair.
While scientists and researchers are suddenly interested in this little muscle, this is not new news. TCM predating all the current scientific studies has long promoted the calf and foot as an important part of our health stating that half of the activities and energy consumption in a persons life are completed by the calf.
TCM calls the calf the “traffic artery”; 50% of the nerves, blood vessels and blood in the human body are in the legs. There are also more than 60 acupressure points on the calf. Massaging the calf is like massaging all the internal organs. TCM says the calf plays an important role in healthcare, disease prevention, and treatment because it can “take medicine like a mouth”. The skin on the back of the body is slightly thinner than the skin on the front of the body, and it has more blood vessels than other areas of the body.
This makes the calf, lower leg, and foot a good spot to absorb medicinal herbs and essential oils through the skin. Massaging the lower leg will bring more relief than the feet alone and maybe easier or more affordable than an entire body massage —and you can do it yourself! Though getting regular massages is still a high priority for me —nothing like someone else massaging you.
Ways to engage with your lower leg
Wherever, whenever you have to sit, fidget! Engage low level soleus activity through foot tapping, ankle circles, and heel tapping. Fidget with your feet! Play some tunes and tap along with your feet.
Incorporate standing calf raises into your mostly daily routines. Going up the steps? Pause and do 1-legged or both leg heel raises with the ball of your foot on the edge of the step so you can slowly lower your heel beyond your forefoot getting a nice stretch of the calf muscles and fuller range of motion on your heel raises —engaging more muscle fibers. Occasionally do it with your knees bent for more soleus engagement.
When you go for walks turn a meditative mind to your calf muscles. By focusing your attention on your soleus muscle you will engage more of it.
Movement throughout your day, a little more awareness of the the humble lower leg, and a little love expression to your mighty calf you will be on the way to improved health with minimal exertion.
I wouldn’t be surprised if someday soon your wearable tracking devices soon will be tracking soleus activity.
No expensive equipment needed or complex exercise routines, just move your feet and give yourself some love.
Calf Loving blends — Essential oil medicinal blends for your lower legs:
Calming yet Energizing, stress relieving blend:
10 drops Lavender
10 drops Sweet Orange
5 drops distilled Lime
4 drops Spearmint
2 drops German Chamomile
Incorporate essential oils into 2 oz of a carrier oil such as sesame or jojoba.
This blend will be helpful for relieving anxiety, stress, and overwhelm while the lime and spearmint will give you a mood lift and motivation.
Lavender research shows it’s linalool and linalyl acetate components relieve anxiety and stress through it effect on your GABA receptors. It increases serotonin in the brain and reduces cortisol. Sweet orange also modulates both GABA and serotonin receptors.
Lime is a nervine, relaxing the nervous system and reducing anxiety. Its refreshing limey scent is uplifting. Spearmint contains both menthol and limonene, menthol will improve delivery of the medicine through the skin with its vasodilating properties. Spearmint also exhibits nervine effects.
German chamomile contains bisabolol-oxides that also bind to GABA receptors inducing calm.
Sleep Tight Calf and Foot Massage Oil
7 drops sweet marjoram
3 drops roman chamomile
16 drops lavender
5 drops clary sage
1 oz carrier — You can choose any carrier oil, I prefer to put it in a base of yarrow infused or chamomile infused jojoba.
Marjoram is a relaxer. It reduces heart rate and blood pressure and balances the nervous system relieving stress. It’s scent has respiratory benefits aiding your nasal breathing all night long. It also reduces aches and pains supporting musculoskeletal health.
Roman chamomile is soothing and relaxes the nervous system. It helps you fall to sleep by relaxing your muscles and your mind.
Clary sage also lowers blood pressure, relaxes your body through its anti-spasmodic affects. It releases PMS cramping and tension. Its euphoric and calming, supportive of sleep. And with it’s clairvoyance effects it supports dreaming.
Lavender, the ultimate relaxer, supports sleep, stimulates the calming side of our nervous system —the vagus nerve and reduces anxiety so you can drift off to sleep.
Yarrow infused in jojoba is a healer. Yarrow is a powerful anti-inflammatory, it relieves nerve pain, heals muscles injuries, tendonitis and reduces the inflammation of arthritis. It will seep into your body seeking out the areas that need healing all night long while you sleep.
References
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.660068/full
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Soleus_Push_Up
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/21/1357
https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0033-1334092