Keep Moving in work in a Call Centre

Keep Moving in work in a Call Centre. In our effort to help businesses improve health and well-being in the workplace, the team at Fusion can put together exercise plans for employees.

We were recently asked by a company with a large call centre to work on improving ergonomics in the workplace.

Customer service complaints

Rather than the ones they sometimes have to deal with on the phone, the biggest complaints amongst call centre workers are neck, shoulder, and upper and lower back pain.

This is generally due to the fact that being hunched over a computer or on the phone for long periods isn’t good for your posture or overall health.

Stretching is key to releasing any tension to avoid discomfort, tightness, and headaches. Shoulder shrugs with stretches of the chest, arms, and neck are great ways to combat fatigue and reduce soreness.

You shouldn’t let your phone become a pain in the neck by cradling a handset between your shoulder and ear, so make sure you use a headset.

Give yourself a more comfortable working environment by incorporating these easy exercises into your daily routine, between calls, to help reverse bad posture, and improve the range of motion in your neck, back, arm joints, and muscles.

Neck

Allow your head to fall to one side until you feel the muscles on the opposite side of your neck stretch gently.

Hold for a few seconds and then slowly let your head roll forward until your chin touches your chest.

Continue the motion and roll your head to the other side, again, until you feel the neck muscles stretch gently.

Then let your head roll backwards to complete the circle. Repeat to the opposite side.

Shoulders

Shrug your shoulders in a circular motion, first forwards and then backwards.

Do this 10 times in each direction before relaxing your shoulders completely.

Back and Torso

Reach both arms above your head and extend them upward as if reaching for something just beyond your grasp.

Hold for 10 seconds and then gently lower your arms.

Extend your arms out wide and back until your shoulder blades touch — or as close to it as you can comfortably get.

Rotate your hands and arms in small circles 15 or 20 times counterclockwise and then clockwise.

Reach your arms behind you as far as they will go and hold for several seconds.

Stand up tall, try bending at the waist and letting your upper body hang limp as far as it will go.

This stretches the back muscles and spine and feels wonderful after a couple of stressful calls.

Wrists

Lift your hands off the keyboard until your forearms are vertical.

Completely relax your hands and wrists, so your hands hang down.

Then shake your hands vigorously in all directions, keeping them as limp as possible.

A few seconds of this is great for relaxing after a lot of typing.

To give them a break, simply twirl your wrists in a circular pattern every hour.

Legs

A conversation on the phone is a great chance for you to get those muscles moving.

Stand up when on a call and stretch those leg muscles – the person on the other end will never know!

Get up and make a cuppa! Having a walk around the office will get the blood pumping around the body and give you a well-earned break from your desk.

With your feet flat on the floor, tense and relax your thigh muscles as if you were pushing your chair away from your desk.

Don’t actually move your chair, just feel your quadriceps tense and relax. Do this a dozen times.

Full Body

Another good exercise is to stretch up on your tiptoes and extend your arms over your head, reaching for the sky.

Then gently lower your arms and rest flat on your feet.

Upstairs downstairs

If you want a quick five-minute exercise burst, then head to the office stairs.

March up and down, or use them for step-ups. You’ll feel refreshed when you sit back down and ready to take on whatever the rest of the day throws at you.

Keep active

As we’ve already highlighted, inactivity in the workplace comes with some serious health risks. Maintaining an active workforce is vital for keeping your staff healthy, improving their wellbeing, managing employee absence, and improving ergonomics in the workplace.

If you’d like to find out how we can help, get in touch today.