The telephone, one of life's greatest conveniences is also one of its biggest tyrants. Carol Krucoff on how to flex your muscles and stay phone fit.

The telephone lets us talk to almost anyone, anytime, anywhere. But the price is often quite literally a pain in the neck. When it rings, it's a call to action and we have to drop everything and react almost immediately.

Every day many of us spend long hours in offices attached to the receiver, and then, while we're on the move, chat on into the mobile only to switch to the home phone when we get in. In the last quarter of 1999 the Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL) recorded that over 52 billion minutes were spent on the phone by business and residential phone users.

To ensure that your quota of these billions of minutes doesn't get the better of you, have a look at these tips and tricks to stay phone fit.

1. Never squeeze the receiver between your shoulder and neck. Sounds obvious, but try to keep your head upright. Gather together any papers that you need to make the call before you dial so that you don't have to stretch and reach for them while speaking. If you frequently make lengthy calls, consider investing in a headset to free your upper body from the tension of cradling the phone. (Headsets start from about £10.) The hands-free or speaker phone option on most phones can also be a necksaver when you're left on hold (but try to keep the volume reasonable for those around you).

2. Alternate ears. Most right-handed people hold the phone with their left hand at their left ear, and left-handed people usually do the opposite. Over time, this one-sided pattern can cause muscle imbalance and tension that can lead to pain and injury. Consciously try to change your usual pattern for a couple of days at a time.

3. Stand and stretch while on the phone, if possible. Some of us spend over half the day on a chair then wonder why we suffer from back pain, stiff muscles and tight joints. If you must sit, do some shoulder shrugs, neck rotations or leg stretches while you talk. At home, if you have a cordless phone, walk around while you talk. You could also climb stairs or get on an exercise machine while you chat. Remember, a good way to tell that you're exercising at a moderate rate is to test that you can still carry on a conversation while moving.

4. Keep some 'body tools' by the phone. While you talk, ease tension spots with self-massagers that are designed to pin-point tense spots around the body. These gadgets, available at a variety of body-conscious shops, are often grooved wooden rollers or balls, but come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials.

5. Never answer on the first ring. Telephone calls frequently disrupt our already harried lives. So instead of racing for the receiver, 'take a six-second breather,' says Professor Ronald Nathan, author of several books on stress management. 'Wait six seconds, or about two rings, before picking up the phone,' he advises. 'Use that time to take a deep breath and relax.'

© 2000 Carol Krucoff. All Rights Reserved.