How To Improve Your Posture Alignment For Singing (Tips)
If you are a singer, your entire body is your instrument and the way you hold it will have an impact on the sound you produce. So, the correct posture and body alignment for singing and speaking are essential if you want to sound good.
The optimal posture alignment for singers and other voice professionals should be:
- flexible
- free of tension
- well supported
- well balanced
But how can you align your body for singing?
Good body alignment and correct positioning of the feet, knees, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms, and head can make a massive difference to your singing and speaking voice. So, to make sure your posture for sound production is optimal, make sure that your:
- shoulders are held back and slightly down
- chest is in an open position to enable the lungs to expand
- abdomen is flat and firm
- hands are relaxed
- hips are directly related to knee position
- knees are flexibly loose and never locked
- feet are slightly apart
- body weight – evenly distributed
Good posture does not only enable your body and voice to work more efficiently. It also looks better and helps to create a more confident and professional appearance in front of your audience. Good body alignment keeps energy flowing instead of trapping it in one body part. It makes your body appear freer, more engaged and energised.
Weak muscles are not able to provide your body with adequate support. So, the key to fixing your posture is unlearning bad habits, such as slouching or rounding your shoulders, and strengthening and stretching the muscles in the upper back, chest, and core.
So, what exercises can you do to improve your posture alignment?
- Stretching and lengthening the spine (Child’s Pose) – start on your hands and knees, with your knees as far as shoulders-width apart and big toes touching each other. Crawl forward on your hands and extend your arms straight out toward the front. Slowly drop your hips back to rest on your heels. Rest your forehead on the floor.
- Standing tall – stand up against a wall, placing heels, calves, buttocks, shoulders, and head in a way so that they touch the wall. Place one hand on your stomach while breathing to make sure it expands freely upon inhalation.
3. Balance training – put a book on your head and walk around a room for a few minutes maintaining good balance, so the book doesn’t fall.
4. Chest muscle stretches – put your arms behind your back, grasp both elbows (or forearms if that’s as far as you can reach), and hold this position for a few seconds.
5. Correcting your posture when sitting – put a rolled up towel behind your shoulders and hold it in place without letting it fall. This will help you sit up straight.
6. Shoulder stretches – squeeze your shoulder blades together for 30 seconds at a time.
7. Core strengthening (planks) – tighten your abdominal muscles, pulling your navel in toward your spine and hold to a count of 10. Repeat 2-3 times.
8. Strengthening buttock muscles (bridges exercise) – lie on your back with your knees bent and heels close to your bottom. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and flat on the floor. Raise your hips to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. As you come up, tighten your abdominals and buttocks. Lower yourself gently to the starting point.