Voc al cords are part of the body, so anything that affects the generalhealth of your body will naturally affect the health of your voice.
Exercise:
the benefits of exercise have been well documented: they include maintaining a healthy weight, keeping the hearthealthy, promoting a good night’s sleep, increasing motivation, and an improved feeling of well-being.
whether you are into gym work outs, dancing, running, walking, cycling, yoga, pilates, team sports – there issomething for everyone, so get moving!
Relaxation:
It’s important to find some way of relaxing – again there is a lot to choose from, including yoga, meditation,massage, sauna, reading, quality time with loved ones…
Diet:
Food is like fuel for the body. So it should be nutritious, and as organic and fresh as possible, with a goodproportion of fruit and vegetables.
Raw Food: Some people swear by the raw food diet, saying that it really cleanses the system.
Dairy: There is some debate about this. The general view is that singers should avoid it, but I have met singerswhose voices are not affected by dairy at all.
Caffeine and alcohol: I’m not saying to cut them out completely, but they are very dehydrating and of course can have other adverse effects if taken in excessive amounts!
Food Supplements: Opinions vary as to whether they are necessary. Some people feel it’s impossible to get all the necessary nutrients from food, others think you can if you eat properly.
Water: this liquid facilitates many important functions in the body, and it is possible to survive longer without foodthan without water. Drinking water is the best way to keep the vocal cords hydrated, which is necessary for them tofunction properly.
Smoking:
Avoid! Need I say more?
Specialist vocal products
There are a lot of products on the market which claim to help with voice maintenance, ranging from lozenges tosprays to inhalers. Vocal coaches and other singers and can be a good source of information about theireffectiveness.
Mental and emotional health
Your state of mind will also affect your ability to express yourself freely, although some people say they’ve written their best songs while in a bad way mentally or emotionally – and people will gravitate to songs that touch them emotionally, so no consensus there!
I think the ideal is to have a healthy body and mind, but be able to draw on the past and present to convey differentemotions. exercise, diet and relaxation all have their part to play, as well as the various forms of counselling andtherapy.
The key to staying healthy is a mixture of research and monitoring what works for you.
I’m always interested to hear about people’s experiences regarding health and singing, so don’t hesitate to connect withme on this page or on my Carol Jack Vocal Studio Facebook page