1st tip for a healthy voice: Warm up

The voice is not an early riser - in the morning (or after a long break from speaking) it doesn't want to hit the ground running. So give it a warm-up phase: vocal training should also include loosening and stretching exercises, both in the mouth-head area and throughout the body.

2nd tip for a healthy voice: The right posture

Make sure you always have firm contact with the floor when speaking and loosen your stomach.3 Otherwise you risk tension, cramps and even postural damage in the long term. Techniques such as yoga or Pilates, which you can do regularly to stretch and strengthen your body muscles, can help.

3rd tip for a healthy voice: Breathe properly

Take the time you need when speaking. Take short breaks every now and then to catch your breath. It is healthiest for your voice to breathethrough your nose: this warms the air in your sinuses and filters out coarse dirt particles. Deep abdominal breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing or full breathing) provides you with the most air.

4th tip for a healthy voice: Don't clear your throat, cough instead

We all know the proverbial frog in the throat. But if you want to keep your voice healthy, you should refrain from clearing your throat. This puts strain on the mucous membranes of the vocal folds and stimulates mucus production. Instead, cough briefly, take a sip of water or suck on a sweet.

5th tip for a healthy voice: take breaks to speak and rest

If your voice is tired, give it the rest it needs. Constant talking strainsthe vocal chords in the long term and can lead to hoarseness and a sore throat. Especially if you have to talk a lot at work, you should keep quiet as often as possible. It is absolutely forbidden to speak if you have inflammation of the ear, nose and throat - until you are healthy again.

6th tip for a healthy voice: the right volume

Do you have to speak in a noisy environment? Don't try to drown out the noise around you - it strains your voice. Instead, organize a microphone if you know in advance that your presentation may be loud. Incidentally, whispering is also bad for the voice, as it also strains the vocal chords. So it's all about striking the right balance.

7th tip for a healthy voice: room climate

Dry, cold or dusty air puts a strain on the voice.3 Therefore, make sure that the humidity is always high enough. In addition to regular ventilation, wet towels on the radiator, for example, can help in winter.

8th tip for a healthy voice: drink plenty of fluids

As with almost everything in life, the same applies to vocal hygiene: drink, drink, drink! Sufficient fluids ensure that the mucous membranes remain well moisturized - this keeps the vocal apparatus supple. You should drink at least two liters a day, preferably water and unsweetened teas. Herbal teas with soothing medicinal plants are particularly suitable, such as sage, camomile or thyme. Good to know: Sage tea is also suitable for inhaling or gargling!5

9th tip for a healthy voice: The right diet

Certain foods are known to have a negative effect on the voice. Alcohol and coffee, for example, dry out the mucous membranes in the throat.2 The same applies to black and green tea and cola.2 You should therefore only enjoy these stimulants in moderation.

You should avoidcigarette smoke completely (including passive smoking): On contact, the mucous membrane in the larynx reacts with increased mucus production. This can lead to the mucous membranes becoming thicker, the vocal folds vibrating more slowly and the voice sounding deep and raspy.

Did you know? Strongly spiced and acidic foods irritate the throat and can lead to heartburn or a sore throat, which in turn can cause voice problems.3 So you should remove them from your menu before an important speaking event. The same applies to mucilaginous foods such as dairy products and bananas.

10th tip for a healthy voice: exercise

Physical activity trains the diaphragm. Sport is therefore suitable for strengthening the voice as part of the whole organism. This is important because speaking or singing requires powerful movements. It is best to focus on balanced fitness training with additional strength and stabilization exercises - this is good for the upper body and a useful addition to voice training.

Sources

1 "Breathe properly: breathing exercises for more calm and relaxation". AOK - Die Gesundheitskasse, https://www.aok.de/pk/magazin/wohlbefinden/stress/richtig-atmen-atemuebungen-fuer-mehr-ruhe-und-entspannung/. Accessed February 6, 2023.

2 "Tips for caring for the voice". German Professional Association of Ear, Nose and Throat Physicians, https://www.hno-aerzte-im-netz.de/unsere-sinne/hno-hygiene/tipps-zur-pflege-der-stimme.html. Accessed February 6, 2023.

3 "'What is meant by "voice hygiene"?" German Society for Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology (DGPP), https://dgpp.de/Service/FuerPatienten/StimmstoerungenUndHeiserkeiten/Stimmhygiene.htm. Accessed February 3, 2023.

4 "Voice hygiene". Klinikdienst Werner Wicker GmbH & Co KG, https://www.wicker.de/kliniken/klinik-am-osterbach/behandlungsschwerpunkte/erkrankungen-a-z/stimmhygiene/. Accessed February 9, 2023.

5 "Home remedy for hoarseness". pronovabkk, https://www.pronovabkk.de/gesuender-leben/koerper-und-seele/hausmittel-heiserkeit.html. Accessed February 3, 2023.

6 "Diaphragm, breathing and health". Osteopathiepraxis-mueller.de, https://osteopathiepraxis-mueller.de/index.php/gesundheitsnews/zwerchfell. Accessed February 6, 2023.