Do These 5 Quick Exercises After a Zoom Call to Boost Your Energy, Says a Celebrity Trainer

If you’re reading this, chances are good you have one or more virtual meetings on your calendar during a typical work day.

From 2020 to 2022, the percentage of remote workers using video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams increased from 48% to 77%, according to the Webex Guide to Virtual Meetings. But the increase in virtual calls and remote work can keep you more sedentary and this can have harmful consequences for your body.

“Many people spend between six and eight hours a day on Zoom calls, which means that in general, unless you have a rolling desk, you’re sitting for a long period of time,” says Kira Stokes, a fitness trainer. celebrities and founder of Kira Stokes Fitness.

“What happens when you sit is that you tighten your hip flexors,” she says. “And you’re also sitting on your butt, which means you’re not exercising your glutes.”

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Not to mention that depending on how you are sitting, you may also strain your neck or feel pain in your lower back. Sitting for most of the day has also been linked to an increased risk of dementia, according to a JAMA study published in September.

The next time you’re finishing a long call, Stokes recommends trying these exercises to combat the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Lie on the floor with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent. Then, lift your glutes off the floor while engaging your core.

“[Bridges] actually work on hip extension, which is the opposite of hip flexion, and they engage the glutes,” says Stokes.

Placing a resistance band around your knees during exercise can also engage the lateral gluteal muscles, which can help stabilize your lower back.

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Get into a squat position and place an exercise band around your ankles. Reach one leg at a time behind you to get a good stretch for your glutes and legs.

“This will help relieve back pain,” says Stokes. “What I hear a lot as a coach is that since Covid, when Zoom calls really became a reality, there has been a real increase in low back pain.”

You can also extend your legs sideways to the side for a banded side kick. Doing these exercises without a band is also possible, but the band provides a greater challenge by adding resistance.

3. Postural exercises

Once you’ve activated your glutes, Stokes says doing postural exercises is a good way to reset your posture after sitting for a long time.

“On a Zoom call, you have a more forward posture, maybe you’re typing on your phone at the same time or generally hunching your shoulders forward,” she says. “So you want to do anything that pulls those shoulders back.”

Stokes suggests placing a resistance band around your wrists and keeping your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor and level with your shoulders. Once in this position, squeeze your shoulders and apply small pressure on the band in an outward motion.

Also be mindful of your posture during video calls, she says, especially your neck position.

“If your legs are crossed, uncross them,” she says. “Do a figure four stretch when you’re sitting to get constant movement in your body.”

4. Inversions

Inversions are movements in which the head is below the heart. They can increase blood flow to the brain and help boost your energy.

“You feel like, ‘Okay, I’m on my second wind,’” she adds.

Inversions can range from a downward dog pose to a headstand.

5. Take a walk

Even if you don’t do any of the other exercises after video calling, Stokes at least recommends getting up and going outside for some fresh air. Get some vitamin D to boost energy and move your body in the simplest way, she says.

“It’s important that we have these moments of increased energy,” she says. “I like to think that movement is a lotion.”

Even if you don’t have time to walk, any kind of movement can help.

“Take a few moments to really boost your energy,” she says. “Get up from your chair and do a few simple jumps up and down, just to increase the blood flow in your body.”

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