New Research on Concurrent Phonation and Exercise/Movement

July 8, 2021

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As a fitness instructor, teacher, coach, or performer of any type, you likely use your voice in conjunction with some form of movement or possibly exercise. There is now some new research that looked into exactly this! 

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Voicing with concurrent phonation and exercise may be influenced by:

*the increased cardiovascular requirement during exercise

*the increased cognitive load associated with dual tasking

*the altered hydration state associated with prolonged exercise

*the phonatory dose associated with continued voicing with loud background music

(Venkatraman, et al., 2021)

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Read this another way:

When you are an instructor, coach, teacher, &/or performer, you often use your voice at the same time as you move (sometimes involving movement of high intensity), & this can have an impact on your breathing (which is the foundation for voice!), as well as your vocal endurance, vocal effort, vocal fatigue, &/or your general voice quality.

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There is an increased cardiovascular requirement during exercise & prolonged movement that can “challenge” the voice (if you aren’t conditioned for it), & the body may hyperfunction/use muscle tension to “work” for the voice (instead of rely on cardiorespiratory support). 

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There is also an increased demand on the brain to multitask all that may be going on (voice, movement, increased rate of breath, animation, etc.), & without training/preparation for mastery of this multitasking, the brain may guide the body to prioritize some of the tasks over others instead of synchronously multitask. 

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Also, general hydration is reduced with prolonged movement/exercise, & consistent inhalations via the mouth also contribute to a more dry oral and pharyngeal/laryngeal environment (it is often that during exercise or movement we may breathe through our mouth). Research shows that the vocal folds vibrate with less effort (& more efficiency) the more hydrated they are. 

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There is also a higher vocal “dose” with extended voice use amidst background noise (music, a crowd/people, equipment, air conditioning or ventilation devices, etc.)—and we may often use vocal effort or strain to “match” or surpass the volume of the background noise (just look up the Lombard Effect or check out one of the past posts I’ve done on it!). Amplification as well as training on how to monitor your voice use while in background noise, AND how to use healthy projection & vocal spice/variety (versus constant volume) are ALL tools to help you succeed vocally while performing the duties of the “job” you love so much.

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Keep MOVING, Keep VOICING, Keep doing your amazing job, and Keep impacting the lives of others, BUT as an occupational voice user, NEVER discount the importance of PRIORITIZING YOUR VOICE.

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