Spring is here which means summer is coming.  May I, as a voice teacher, recommend getting yourself in a bathing suit and going for a swim?  Swimming is the most amazing workout you can get when it comes to targeting the needs of a singer, (OK Yoga is pretty close to it).  Singing opens up the back and develops your low breathing.  You build stamina in your breath and strength in all the right muscles to support a glowing free voice when you swim on a regular basis.

So start off slow, but get in the pool.  Try and do swim three times a week.  Change up your stroke since each one works on different parts of the back.  Back stroke is great at opening and expanding the chest while freestyle does the same for the back.  Breast stroke strengthens and widens the side of your rib cage and lower abdominals.  Couldn’t be better.

Your legs will get stronger which helps you to “grip to the earth” and connect your voice all the way down. Plus of course, swimming will make your body fabulous which will make you more confident on stage and more attractive to your audience!

The beauty of swimming is that the whole time you are strengthening you are also doing the most incredible breathing exercises.  (I emulate some of them on my first volume of Voice Lessons To Go- Vocalize and Breath).  Developing your breathing capacity will strengthen and lengthen your ability to hold notes and keep beautiful lines.  This will give you more control and power as a singer to convey your styling.

Also, swimming is a great body warm up in the morning before you do your singing vocal warm-ups.  After you swim and you go to sing you will find that all your muscles are already alert and working for you from your first note on.

I know it requires getting wet, time, showering after etc… but it is a great thing for your body as a whole and your voice.

I find when I am swimming laps, I often run through music in my head and practice my memorization of lines.  (There’s not much else to do while going back and forth in a pool ).

You will feel GREAT afterwards that’s a guarantee!

Give it a thought!   

written by Ariella Vaccarino creator of Voice Lessons To Go (singing lessons on CD) and author of Vocalize!

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