10 Tips for a healthy voice
Unlike other instruments, our voice is an intimate part of us. This means the way we feel psychologically and physically will have a great influence on how we sound. The voice is a communicator of feelings and emotions. It gives the outside world an insight into our personality. We use our voices every single day and thus put great demands upon it. So, learning the best tips for a healthy voice is vital for optimal singing, speaking and communicating.
How to know if you are experiencing voice problems?
- Do you find yourself repeatedly clearing your throat?
- Do you find it an effort to talk?
- Have you lost your ability to hit high notes when singing?
- Has your voice become hoarse or raspy?
- Does your throat often feel achy or strained?
- Does your voice suddenly sound deeper?
What are some of the most common reasons for voice problems?
- common colds and upper respiratory infections
- vocal overuse and poor vocal technique
- growths on the vocal folds, such as nodules or polyps
- reflux or heartburn
So, now that we know how to detect potential voice problems and why they happen, let's talk about how to prevent vocal issues. Here are 10 best tips for a healthy voice and how to keep it in top condition.
1. Stay hydrated
Drink water every day and limit alcohol and caffeine, both of which cause the body to lose water and make the vocal folds and larynx dry. When speaking and singing vocal folds vibrate very fast and in order to function well, they need to be adequately lubricated. Water helps to hydrate the entire body and thus helps to maintain vocal folds in optimal condition for sound production.
However, drinking pure water all day long, may be somewhat unappealing. So, for anyone who wants more excitement from their water, here is a product I highly recommend. It’s a water bottle with a fruit infuser! The natural fruity water prepared in this way tastes delicious and makes hydration a lot more fun!
2. Don’t smoke
During smoking the smoke passes over the vocal folds and dries them out. As a result, smoking may prevent the vocal folds from vibrating and functioning correctly, which is sure to affect your voice. Smoking also reduces the functioning of the lungs, which will have a massive impact on your breath control and overall sound quality. Smoking is seriously damaging to the voice and health in general. So the best way to maintain your voice in optimal shape is not to smoke.
3. Follow a healthy diet
Our voices depend tremendously on the overall health of our body. And our overall health is largely influenced by the diet we consume. It’s a well known saying that ‘we are what we eat’. In the case of vocalists, this is particularly true. The healthier the body, the stronger the sound and the stamina, which all singers need to deliver great performances.
There are certain foods that singers should avoid because they have a particularly bad effect on the voice. These include foods that are known to trigger inflammation and / or heartburn, e.g. fried and fatty foods, processed sugar, spicy foods, soda, alcohol.
The most optimal singer’s diet should include a range of foods that are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants. Great examples here are green tea, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, dark leafy vegetables, berry fruits, etc.
4. Rest
Get enough rest and take regular breaks from using your voice. The reason it is absolutely vital to rest your voice, is because vocal overuse and physical fatigue are sure to impede the way you sound. Take particular care when using your voice during a cold or any upper respiratory infection, which affects the vocal tract. Any such ailment will make your voice particularly vulnerable, so it is imperative to take proper care of the voice during an illness.
5. Inhale steam
External hydration, such as steam inhalation, helps the voice apparatus to stay moist and function well. It also has a soothing effect in case of vocal folds irritation.
So, using a steamer, especially in winter or in dry climates, can really help to keep your voice in top shape. It is not necessary to buy anything particularly complex.
6. Don’t abuse your voice
Avoid shouting, screaming and yelling as well as speaking loudly in noisy areas. Overtiring your voice will make it weaker, less efficient and may even result in vocal damage. This also applies to taking good care of your voice when practising your singing. Prolonged sessions can do more damage than good and should be avoided. 15 minutes of good, healthy practice will be more beneficial than an hour of using a poor vocal technique.
7. Stay fit
Singing is a physical activity that requires good coordination and support from various muscle groups. Abdominal muscles, back muscles and intercostal muscles all take part in supporting the correct posture for breathing, singing and speaking. As such they need to be well exercised to increase stamina and muscle tone.
This helps to achieve good ‘support’ for the breath, which in turn helps to create a well-controlled sound.
One of the gentlest yet most effective forms of exercise for singing is yoga. It helps to improve the way we sound in many different ways. You can find out more about the 5 benefits of yoga for singing from my blog post here.
8. Avoid tension
Always aim to keep your larynx in a neural position and all muscles relaxed and tension-free. Some singers pull their chins up when singing high notes and down when singing low notes. This can put unnecessary strain on the neck, throat and jaw muscles, which results in a strain and poor sound quality.
9. Warm up
Warming up the voice is not only good practice, but a necessity!
Vocal warm ups are a must not just for singers, but for anyone who uses their voice in a workplace. For instance, public speakers, teachers, coaches, sales people, nurses, carers and other professionals who rely on their voices, should practise vocal warm ups.
Vocal warms help to prepare the voice for all forms of communication, be it singing or speaking, so they should be performed by anyone who wants their voice to stay in top form.
10. Don’t abuse your vocal cords