At the beginning of each private voice lesson, I have my students do a series of physical warm-up exercises. These body warm-ups help the student become more aware of their physicality. It is vital to learn to sing without any unnecessary tension that can interfere with vocal production. Physical warm-up exercises are a great way to shake off the concerns of the day that might interfere with concentration and focus during a practice session or in preparation for a performance.
These exercises also prepare the singer or speaker to energize themselves more fully, making it easier to engage the voice and the spontaneity necessary for authentic expression. Physical warm-up exercises are a key ingredient of the performance craft.
Here are some of the physical warm-up exercises I recommend.
Exercise #1: Kidney Massage
The kidneys store fear and anxiety. By bringing the warmth of your hands to the kidney area for a gentle massage, you can ease the tensions of the day and also bring gentle awareness to the diaphragm connection under the back ribs.
Exercise #2: Hip Circles for Breathing
Gently, with soft knees, rotate the hips in a slow circle. With a slack jaw, allow the breath to draw into the body through the mouth when the hips are behind you. Keep the lower back rounded to allow the back to widen, deepening the diaphragmatic breath. Roll the hips to the side and forward, exhaling through the mouth as the spine lengthens. You can reverse the circle, but make sure the intake of breath happens when the hips are behind your center.
Exercise #3: Qi Gong Sun Exercise
Bend your knees, and bring your hands together. Extend your arms in front of you, as if you were hugging a tree. Inhale through the mouth as you slowly stand, raising your rounded arms up toward your forehead. At the level of your forehead, rotate the palms to face outward. Bring the palms up over the head, coming up to stand on the tips of your toes. Then exhale as you lower your arms and separate your hands, reaching your arms out sideways and lowering down off of your toes onto the soles of your feet. Bend the knees and repeat. Say to yourself, “I am gathering the wonderful energies of the universe, and I am opening my heart.”
Exercise #4: Hand-Eye Coordination Twist
Standing tall, lower your gaze to your right index finger resting by your side. With a straight arm, lift the right arm straight in front of you. Keep following your index finger with your gaze. Bring the arm up overhead, then twist at the waist, and lower the arm in an arc behind you, all the while maintaining your eye focus out and over your right index finger. Then retrace the movement in reverse: reach your arm out behind you, bring it up to the ceiling, rotate, reach out in front of you, and lower back down to the rest position by your side. Repeat with the left arm.
Exercise #5: Shake Out
Shake out your hands, your arms, and your legs. Move your torso. Flap your feet loosely. Loosen up!
Exercise #6: Sound and Motion
Move your body, and allow yourself to make arbitrary vocal sounds, as if the sound were coming from your limbs. Be silly. Let go.
Be sure to watch the video above, where I demonstrate all of these physical warm-up exercises. I have also included a bonus exercise in the video called the Courage Exercise. This is a great physical warm-up exercise to practice before an audition or performance.
