Calf Lifts

One Minute Calf Lifts: A Simple Habit with Big Benefits

We are living in a time when for a lot of us, our work days can be very sedentary, sitting at a desk or driving. With everything that we have to think about and get done, it can feel impossible to find the time to counteract the negative impact of this lifestyle on our health. The popularity of streaming services like Netflix, also means that we often binge watch our favourite programmes for hours, sitting in front of our screens and TVs without moving. New research shows that while going to the gym or walking daily are fantastic habits for our health, they do not completely offset the effects of sitting for most of our day. Could we do more to support our health during our eight hours at work?

“Sitting less and moving more” during the working day should complement regular exercise to support our heart and overall health. Regular simple calf lifts are a 60 second high impact health win, which we can easily build in to our day. We don’t need another thing to add to our “to-do” list, but suggestions for a few simple habits that we can implement without too much effort. We all want to keep our heart, muscles and bones healthy and our blood and lymph flowing. So, let’s learn a little about the benefits of calf lifts.

What are the Benefits?

Performing calf lifts (also referred to as calf raises) for just one minute, even three times per day is a great way to support circulation, muscle strength, and everyday mobility. This exercise involves repeatedly rising onto the balls of the feet and lowering back down in a controlled manner. The potential benefits to our health include:

Improved circulation: The calf muscles are often referred to as the body’s “second heart” because they assist in pumping blood from our legs back up towards our heart. Regular calf contractions can support healthy movement of our blood and reduce blood pooling in our lower legs.

Reduced stiffness from prolonged sitting: Brief movement breaks throughout the day can help to counteract the effects of long periods spent sitting at a desk, driving, or watching television.

Stronger lower leg muscles: Repeated calf lifts help to maintain and improve strength in the muscles in our legs. This is important for walking, climbing the stairs and balance.

Better balance and stability: Strong calf muscles contribute to ankle stability and may help to support confidence in everyday movements. Our balance is one of the indicators of our potential longevity.

Convenient and accessible: Absolutely no equipment is needed and so the exercise can be performed almost anywhere, even sitting at our desk (better standing though) making it easy to build into our daily routine. It is a practical way to fit some movement into our day.

TOP TIP

Try doing some calf lifts while waiting for the kettle to boil, waiting for a meeting to start, in between tasks, brushing your teeth or standing beside your desk.

Remember that our brain works better when our blood is flowing too so if you feel stuck in the middle of a task, try some calf lifts and deep breaths with long slow exhales, to re-focus.

Summary

While one minute may seem like too short of a time to have much impact, completing calf lifts three times daily equates to several hundred muscle contractions each week, providing a practical way to “move more” and support lower-limb health. Small but regular movement breaks throughout the day can quickly add up.

Evidence: There are some links to the scientific evidence on the benefits of calf lifts below in case you would like to read more about it and perhaps you could encourage your co-workers and remind each other to “sit less and move more” during the day!

This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning a new exercise programme, particularly if you have an existing medical condition or injury