Exercises customer service employees can do at their desk.

Are you are one of the 86% of Americans who sit all day at work? Studies show that excessive sitting is a key risk factor several major medical issues facing the U.S. today: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers. But according to the Ergotron JustStand Survey & Index Report, 67% of Americans hate sitting.

Clicking your mouse isn’t burning calories, and there are only so many times a day that you can take a coffee break or walk to the loo. Moving more at your desk won’t necessarily reverse the effects of the sitting disease, here are 5 tips to help burn more calories while being a great customer service agent.

1. Channel your inner Gregory Hines and tap dance! Start by tapping your toes 25 times, keeping your heels on the floor. Then, tap your foot side to side 25 times, pivoting on your heel. Move both feet at the same time, or one foot at a time. BONUS: This exercise will help strengthen the 9 muscles at the front of your shins!
2. You know what’s great about talking? You don’t need to sit to do it. So, stand up when you are on the phone. If you have a wireless headset, then take a stroll down the hall. Just don’t walk so far that you wind up out of wireless range and accidentally ditch your call!
3. Get an ab workout with isometrics. This works by contracting your stomach muscles to activate muscle fibers from both ends. How to do it: suck your gut in and hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds at a time. Rinse and repeat.
4. Have a go at some chair yoga. It’s like a 20-minute head-to-toe relaxation session. You’ll just need something to put under your feet, like a thick towel, blanket, or yoga blocks. Check out this video for instructions on how to practice this ancient exercise sitting on your bum.
5. You know the old saying. Laughter is the best medicine. Well, it actually is! Research found that 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on a person’s weight and the intensity of the laughter. So, laugh at your coworkers. Laugh at yourself. Laugh at the ridiculous deadline your boss just gave you. It’ll make you feel better.

Want to know more? We’ve done the math and totaled how many calories you burn while being a model customer service employee.