Keeping Your Voice Healthy, Strong, and Reliable

Vocal hygiene refers to the behaviours and lifestyle choices that promote a healthy voice. Just like athletes look after their muscles and joints, voice professionals must care for their vocal folds (cords) and the systems that support them.

1. Hydration

• Drink plenty of water (6–8 glasses a day or more if active or in dry environments).
• Hydration keeps the vocal folds lubricated, allowing them to vibrate freely and with less effort.
• Use steam inhalation or nebulisers for added surface hydration, especially if you're using your voice heavily or feeling dry.

2. Avoid Vocal Strain

• Don’t shout, scream, or try to speak over loud background noise.
• Use a microphone or amplification in large or noisy spaces.
• Don’t whisper for long periods—whispering can be more straining than speaking.

3. Warm-up and Cool-down

• Gently warm up your voice before heavy use (e.g. humming, lip trills, sirens).
• Cool down afterwards to relax the muscles and reduce post-use fatigue.

4. Avoid Irritants

• Don’t smoke and avoid smoky environments.
• Minimise exposure to dust, pollution, and chemical fumes.
• Avoid excessive alcohol and caffeine, which can dehydrate the body and dry the throat.

5. Mind Your Diet

• Be aware of acid reflux (LPR), which can silently damage the voice. Avoid eating late at night and limit spicy, acidic, or fatty foods.
• Maintain a healthy weight and consider raising the head of your bed if reflux is a concern.

6. Rest Your Voice

• Take vocal breaks during long speaking or singing sessions.
• Use voice rest (short periods of silence) when you feel hoarse or fatigued.
• Don’t push through pain or hoarseness—this can lead to injury.

7. Healthy Speech Habits

• Use good posture and breath support when speaking or singing.
• Avoid habitual throat clearing—sip water or swallow instead.
• Keep background noise low when possible to avoid over-projecting.

8. Stay Healthy

• Rest well and manage stress, which can cause muscle tension in the neck and throat.
• Treat colds, allergies, and sinus infections promptly.
• Exercise regularly and practice good general health habits—your voice reflects your overall well-being.

See a specialist (ENT or speech and language therapist) if you notice:

• Hoarseness lasting longer than 2–3 weeks
• Sudden voice loss or reduced range
• Pain or discomfort when speaking or singing
• Feeling of a lump in the throat (globus sensation)
• Frequent throat clearing, coughing, or vocal fatigue

Early intervention can prevent long-term damage.

• Drink enough water daily
• Warm up before and cool down after heavy voice use
• Avoid shouting and background noise
• Don’t smoke or expose your voice to irritants
• Manage reflux, allergies, and illness
• Rest your voice when needed
• Use microphones when necessary
• Seek help early if something doesn’t feel right

Professional voice users should consider seeing a voice specialist ENT or a speech and language therapist (SLT) if they have any ongoing voice issues or if they want to fine-tune their voice use for better stamina, clarity, and control.

Do: | Don’t:

Stay hydrated | Smoke or whisper frequently

Warm up and cool down | Shout over noise

Rest your voice | Ignore pain or hoarseness

Use amplification | Eat heavily before bed if prone to reflux

Seek help early | Push through persistent symptoms

Warming up your voice helps:

• Increase vocal flexibility and range.
• Relax muscles and reduce tension in the throat.
• Improve breath support and airflow.
• Prevent vocal strain and injury.
• Optimise vocal tone and clarity for clearer and more efficient speech or singing.

A good warm-up should be gradual, beginning with gentle exercises and progressing to more dynamic movements.

1. Breathing Exercises

Effective breathing is fundamental for good vocal performance. Start with these:

• Diaphragmatic Breathing (Abdominal Breathing):
  1. Sit or stand with a straight posture.
  2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
  3. Inhale deeply through your nose, making sure your abdomen rises (not your chest).
  4. Exhale slowly through your mouth, allowing your abdomen to fall.
  5. Repeat for 5–10 breaths to activate your diaphragm and calm your body.

• Breath Control Exercise:
  1. Inhale for a count of 4.
  2. Hold the breath for 4 counts.
  3. Exhale for a count of 4.
  4. Gradually increase the length of each phase, aiming for counts of 6 or 8.

2. Gentle Humming

• Begin by humming softly at a low pitch, gradually moving through your vocal range.
• This warms up the vocal folds gently without causing strain.
• Try humming through scales or simple melodic phrases to warm up both your low and high registers.

3. Lip Trills and Bubbles

• Relax your lips and make a motorboat or "brrrr" sound with your voice.
• Start on a comfortable pitch and slide up and down through your vocal range.
• This technique helps release tension, improve breath control, and lubricate the vocal folds.

4. Sirens (Glides)

• Slide from your lowest to highest pitch (and vice versa) on an “ooo” or “ee” sound.
• This exercise helps stretch the vocal folds and increases range flexibility.
• Do it gently, without straining, to avoid vocal damage.

5. Vocal Slides (Yawn-Sighs)

• Take a deep, relaxed breath as if you’re yawning.
• As you exhale, make a sighing sound on a comfortable pitch, allowing the sound to slide up and down.
• This exercise releases tension in the throat and improves resonance.

6. Gentle Scales

• Sing or speak a simple five-note scale, starting from a low pitch and ascending to a higher one (e.g., C-D-E-F-G).
• Keep your volume soft to avoid overstraining your voice.
• Repeat in different keys for full vocal range coverage.

Just as warming up prepares your voice for performance, cooling down is equally important for recovery after vocal use.

1. Soft Humming

• Hum softly, focusing on keeping the sound relaxed and gentle.
• Start at a comfortable pitch and slowly glide through your range.
• This helps to gently release any tension in the vocal folds and relax the vocal muscles.

2. Lip Trills

• As with warm-ups, use lip trills or “bubbles” to ease the tension.
• Perform this exercise in your comfortable vocal range to release any remaining muscle tension.

3. Slow Vocal Slides

• After a performance or intense speaking, do slow, controlled vocal slides (sirens) back down from a higher pitch to a lower one.
• Ensure that your slides are smooth and easy, with no harsh transitions or straining.

4. Gentle Breathing Exercises

• Engage in slow, diaphragmatic breathing exercises to help your body relax and release any remaining tension.
• Try breathing in for 4 counts, holding for 4, and exhaling for 4 or more counts.
• This promotes vocal relaxation and reduces post-performance tension.

5. Gentle Yawn-Sighs

• Engage in the yawn-sigh technique after use to reset the voice.
• Inhale deeply as if yawning, and then sigh out on a comfortable pitch.
• This helps stretch the vocal folds and relieves any residual tightness.

• Hydration is key: Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially before and after vocal use.
• Avoid vocal strain: Do not shout or whisper, as these can cause damage to your vocal folds.
• Rest your voice: Give your voice regular breaks to avoid fatigue, especially if you have a long speaking or singing schedule.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle: A balanced diet, adequate sleep, and exercise all contribute to overall vocal health.
• Protect from irritants: Avoid smoking, secondhand smoke, and exposure to harsh chemicals or allergens.

Professional voice users should consider seeing a voice specialist ENT or a speech and language therapist (SLT) if they have any ongoing voice issues or if they want to fine-tune their voice use for better stamina, clarity, and control.

Do: | Don’t:

Warm up gradually before use | Overuse or strain your voice

Hydrate well and rest your voice | Shout, whisper, or speak loudly for long periods

Use gentle exercises like lip trills and humming | Skip your cool-down routine after vocal use

Listen to your body and avoid pushing your voice | Ignore any signs of vocal fatigue or discomfort

Projecting your voice doesn't mean shouting. True projection involves:

• Using resonance rather than force to carry your sound.
• Engaging your breath support system effectively.
• Maintaining good posture to allow open and efficient airflow.
• Avoiding excessive tension in the throat, jaw, or neck.

Tip: Think of “filling the space” with your sound, rather than pushing it out.

Efficient breath support is the foundation of healthy voice use. Diaphragmatic breathing:

• Uses the abdominal and lower rib muscles for inhalation.
• Reduces strain on the vocal folds.
• Supports sustained speech or singing with control and power.

How to practice:

• Place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen.
• Inhale deeply so only your abdomen rises.
• Exhale slowly and evenly while maintaining posture.

Expanding your vocal range should be gradual and guided:

• Warm up gently before working on range.
• Avoid forcing high or low notes, which can strain the vocal folds.
• Focus on smooth transitions between registers (e.g., chest to head voice).
• Use semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (like lip trills or straw phonation) to support healthy extension.

Tip: Work with a vocal coach or therapist for targeted guidance.

Clear articulation enhances intelligibility and reduces vocal effort:

• Use your lips, tongue, and jaw efficiently—not your throat.
• Practice tongue twisters and diction exercises to refine speech clarity.
• Maintain a relaxed jaw and free tongue movement to avoid unnecessary tension.

Try: Over-enunciating phrases slowly, then gradually speeding up with precision.

Amplification allows you to maintain vocal clarity without strain:

• Position the microphone at an appropriate distance (not too close or too far).
• Use head-worn or lapel mics for consistent pickup during movement.
• Adjust gain levels and avoid competing with background noise.
• Don’t rely on vocal effort to “cut through the mix”—let the tech support you.

Tip: Learn the basics of your audio setup to make informed adjustments.

Do | Don’t

Breathe from the diaphragm | Shout or push the voice

Warm up and cool down | Skip preparation or recovery

Use amplification when needed | Strain the voice to be heard

Monitor posture and tension | Ignore signs of fatigue