Working all day on a chair with one phone call after another is not without consequences for health. Here are some simple office exercises for call centre agents to incorporate into their daily routine.
You don’t need to leave your chair to do most of these exercises. They are relatively unobtrusive and will let you build and relax your body tension without disturbing your neighbours. But some of them involve broader movements and will unmask you, so why not invite colleagues to do them at the same time? The more the merrier. Sports professionals recommend doing this type of exercise twice a day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Thighs
There’s nothing complicated to work the thighs. Push you chair back a little and sit on the edge, so your thighs don’t touch the chair at all. Raise your right leg and hold in position parallel to the ground for 30 seconds while pressing your thigh with your hand. Take a deep breath and repeat with the other leg.
Abs
For this exercise you also need to sit at the edge of the chair but plant your feet firmly on the ground and begin with your back straight. Then contract the abs and inhale while gently moving your back backwards (keeping it straight). When you exhale, return to the initial position.
Back
Doctors confirm that back pain is the most common pain among office workers. Prevention is better than cure, the saying goes. Place your chair a little away from the desk, stand up straight, then grip the desk and try to pull yourself closer to it (or pull the desk closer to you). If you can synchronize the movement with your breathing it’s even better!
The buttocks
Sitting all day is not a good reason to avoid strengthening the buttocks. This exercise is assured to be unobtrusive. It’s a matter of sitting with the back straight and first contracting the left buttock then the right, for ten seconds. Repeat ten times on each side, taking a break to breath between each set.
With these basic techniques you will keep your body active despite being confined to a chair. Promise!