HOLIDAY HEALTH HACKS!!! (and as always, PYV!).

HOLIDAY HEALTH HACKS! 

And thank you @sharnee_lee_scott for asking/inspiring me to do this one!!!!! 

The HOLIDAYS are SUCH an incredible time of the year… But it’s important to PRIORITIZE keeping yourself in GREAT health—physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and VOCALLY!! What are YOUR favorite HOLIDAY HEALTH HACKS?! Check out the video and read below for some of mine:

Water — TONS (as always)… I always aim for half of my body weight in ounces daily, MINIMUM. I also LOVE to put trace minerals in my water (Cell Food, easily found at Sprouts) as well as greens and/or prebiotics/probiotics (I used AG1--Athletic Greens).

EMST— respiratory muscle STRENGTH training (always a smart decision).

BreatherVoice— respiratory muscle training for resistive breathing and a focus on VOICE. Also has a free app that educates you, reminds you, and takes you through your exercises.

Amplification — ALWAYS. When teaching, public speaking, coaching, presenting, etc. … especially within background noise and/or for long periods of time. If you are a fitness instructor, my favorite brand it AV NOW.. the BEST clarity, sound quality, and mics/headsets in general. If you are a teacher, an inexpensive easy option is the Winbridge personal amplification system. Only about thirty bucks on Amazon!

Moisturize your hands— FOR REAL. I have to constantly do this when it’s chilly out (or else mine crack and bleed.. likely caused by the dry, cold air mixed with constant hand washing)…

PLANK— Always and forever. Commit to at least one everyday! So good for you on so many levels. Try to expand the length of time every time you plank. 

Nasal saline rinses— I can’t talk enough about how much I truly believe in the preventative benefits of consistent nasal hygiene.. I do it every single day at least once. 

Cardio— SO MANY benefits for mental health, physical health, and vocal health. Want an extra challenge/benefit? Practice nasal breathing during cardio.

VocalMist— I love mine so much and have had it for at least five or six years. Direct and immediate hydration to those vocal folds! No brainer! 

Straw Phonation/SingRing— FIT IT IN. It IS possible. Vocal warmups, resets, and rebalancing.. based on research.

Nasal saline—commit to it. Truly a game changer. 

Steam— another lovely way to hydrate. Find the time. It makes a difference!

Phonation through a VOFM (variably occluded face mask)— one of my FAVE functional SOVTEs. And based on research. 

Lagree— my FAVORITE fitness method that I also teach. Complete full body workout. High intensity low impact. Insanely good for you. Classes are also more fun than working out alone, at least in my opinion. Community, motivation, inspiration--we all find those shakes and stay motivated together.

Amplification— worth repeating. And make sure it works right, is positioned correctly, and is calibrated slightly higher than the music. 

Read/Learn— ALWAYS. Never stop learning, growing, and evolving. Anddd highly recommend the book in the video (BREATH by James Nestor, but also Conscious Breathing by Anders Olsson, and The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown).

Stay warm/Bundle up—SO important. And especially for VOICE too. Use a scarf if you’re outside in the cold. Also keep your mouth closed and practice nasal breathing (you'll get filtered and hydrated air--as well as ~40% more oxygen).

Vocalmist—Worth repeating. Worth getting one. Your vocal folds deserve it. Use code VOXFIT_123 for a discount!

Moisturize dry hands—again and again. And again. (I'm grabbing for some hand lotion right now)...

Immunity/supplements— SO important. I take a bunch and truly believe in their POWER. One of my favorite brands is Cymbiotika, and most of their supplements are liposomal---which is like an uber straight to your cells (more absorption than capsules). 

Nutrition—Also SO important: Food is Medicine. Hippocrates has a famous quote about this one--"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food". 

Sleep— Incredibly important for body, immunity, skin, mind, mood, energy levels, and VOICE. What is your nighttime ritual? Maybe you should create one :) 

Breathe—Find time to practice easy, low, full, slow, 360, nasal breathing. Pray. Meditate. Reset. Center. Find a peaceful place. Try the Oxygen Advantage app or even the Calm app to help you prioritize this...

Water — MORE is best... Use big bottles.. it helps you know how many ounces you are getting in and you have to fill them up less times than small ones. I love BKR because they use glass bottles and have 1L sizes.

Sleep/Rest — Prioritize it. Especially while you have a few days off work!

Plank — ALWAYS a good decision.

Hug someone/your dog— HUGS release the happy chemical in our bodies.. also so great to do in general. Author and family therapist Virginia Satir said that "we need four hugs a day for survival, we need eight hugs a day for maintenance, and we need 12 hugs a day for growth”.#love  

Immunity/supplements—worth saying twice

Stretch — and connect it to the breathflow…GROW deeper in the stretch with each exhale. 

Plank—the more the better!!

Multitask/HABIT STACK— ex: wear Balas while walking/teaching/etc.; sneak a straw in your water bottle (opportunities for hydration and straw phonation!); do a facial mask while learning something new on a podcast, pray and/or meditate while you are on a morning walk... the ways you can HABIT STACK are endless. 

Oral care/Tongue scraper— get that film off your tongue right when you wake up everyyyy morning. 

Humidifier— HYDRATION (yet another awesome option)

Plank/Hike— #movementismedicine (so are planks!)…

Moisturize lips— also so they don’t crack and bleed.

Hydration and Straw Phonation (habit stack)— you can FIT IT IN!

I could go on more but these HOLIDAY HEALTH HACKS will definitely get you started!! Reach out if you have ANY questions. MUCH LOVE MY FRIENDS. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and CHEERS to 2024!!!

#prioritizeyourvoice

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 PYV: Anddd of course, always REMEMBER to PRIORITIZE YOUR VOICE! ... 

How are YOU prioritizing your voice today? And everyday? As an OCCUPATIONAL VOICE USER, it SHOULD be one of your top priorities! 

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What do you need to know to keep your voice healthy?  Set yourself up for SUCCESS in the New Year!! You should understand how the voice works, how to protect and care for your voice, and how to use your voice and entire vocal mechanism in the most efficient, effective, and dynamic ways possible.  
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I’m super PASSIONATE about this population of voice users (I’m one and most of you are too!), and am HERE TO HELP! Reach out with any questions, concerns, or if you’d like to work together. Email me at [email protected] or DM me on @voxfit_ ...   #heretohelp