The Fit Singer's Holiday Wish List

I don't know about you, but I'm far from ready for Christmas. I haven't even started my shopping. Not necessarily a surprise when there was so much to do preparing my students' Holiday recital. It was a huge success! Now it's time to seriously think of gift giving. With that in mind I've put together a wish list. For a singer, maintaining health is important, so here are some ideas beyond scarves and water bottles. You might want to put these on your own wish list or maybe get a gift idea for a singing friend. This is certainly not a definitive list, but these are things that I have found very useful in my own life as a singer and hope you will too.

1. What Every Singer Needs to Know About the Body by Melissa Malde, MaryJean Allen and Kurt-Alexander Zeller.  

This book deals with Body Mapping and kinesthesia  To briefly explain: Our body map is our mental representation of our bodies’ size, structure and function. By having a refined body map your movements improve resulting in better singing. Kinesthesia is the perception of the body in motion.  The book has many anatomical drawings and describes the mechanics of movement from head to toe that are necessary for good alignment and free singing. It lists many common misperceptions about how our musculoskeletal system works and how to correct it for better singing. I’ve found it a great tool in my studio to help students understand better what’s going on in their bodies.

2. Voice at the Center by Ruth Williams Hennessy (DVD).

Voice at the Center by Ruth Williams Hennessy (DVD). I just recently became aware of this as our local NATS Chapter is having a movie night hosted by me and we will be featuring this DVD. In preparation for this I watched the DVD that I borrowed from a colleague and have found it very informative. There a few sections. Part I starts with a self-assessment to help find where you hold unhelpful tension, followed by release exercisees which are clearly organized by body part and finally Alignment 1-2-3 to translate your released body to a better vocal instrument.  In Part II you learn more advanced techniques to apply to your everyday practice routine. I’ve already started to apply some of the exercises with my own students and even on myself. This is definitely on my own wish list, so I can have my own copy.

3. ​PiYo (DVD) by Beachbody.

PiYo is a workout routine that changed my life. I had suffered from chronic back pain for over 20 years until I did this 60 day DVD program. It is a stretch and strength workout inspired by movements from Pilates and Yoga, but more dynamic, so you get a good cardio workout as well. You will build lean muscle from this with body weight exercises and improve flexibility and range of motion. It’s a low impact workout and has modifiers to follow if you’re just a beginner. Celebrity trainer Chalene Johnson originally developed this workout as a live class and leads you through all the DVD workouts. I loved it so much that I have now become a PiYo Live instructor. It’s great for singers, as we don’t need to bulk up in muscle and it helps with posture and alignment. The workouts are short only about 30 minutes long, so they fit into a hectic schedule and very cost effective too. Click here for more information about PiYo. Or contact me.

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4. ​Stability Ball. 

​This is a great, inexpensive piece of equipment for any singer to have. There are so many exercises you can do with it. The best thing is that it engages the deep core stability muscles, which you need for efficient breath management in singing. Even simply sitting on it and bouncing while you sing can help you release tension. 

5. Resistance Bands. 

Another inexpensive, but invaluable tool for a singer. They would make a great stocking stuffer! Resistance bands can be used in strength training exercises, especially ones that will help singing posture, and for stretches. I have many exercises for these specifically for the singer. I am currently working on a free eBook that should be released in the new year, so keep following me to be the first to get your copy.

6. Foam Roller. 

Whether you exercise or not, every singer should have a foam roller. These are great for self-massage. Release tension throughout your body. I like using a Trigger Point GRID Foam Roller, which has little knobbly bits to break down muscle adhesions more deeply, but then I’m a triathlete, so I work my body pretty hard. A regular foam roller is quite inexpensive and available at any fitness supply store.

7. ​Massage gift card. 

Who doesn’t like a massage to feel relax, rejuvenated? Though self-massage with a foam roller, tennis ball or other method can be helpful to ease tension, nothing beats a professional massage by a registered massage therapist! They aren’t cheap though, so make sure everyone know that you have this on your wish list, maybe you’ll get a few gift cards and will be set for massages for the year.

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8. Humidifier. 

With the dry cold winter air and even more dryness indoors with central heating it’s important to keep yourself humidified. Keeping your nasal cavities moist will help improve your noses ability to work properly at fighting infection (see my post on nasal breathing). Needless to say it will keep your throat and vocal folds happy. Your skin will be happy too. I have no brand preferences, a $25 one from Walmart can do the job.

9. Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Guilia Enders. 

This book has become a New York Times Best seller. There has been so much medical attention of late about gut health and the gut microbiome and how it relate to diseases. For singers it can be very beneficial to know how our digestive system works, especially knowing about the singer’s bane of acid reflux. This is told in an easy to read humorous style and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about their health.

10. Shakeology. 

,Branded as “The Healthiest Meal of the Day”, it truly is. It’s not your average protein or meal replacement shake. The whole foods in it are chosen for their nutrient density with minimal processing. There are no artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, soy or high fructose corn syrup. It contains digestive enzymes and probiotics – important for gut health (see 9). It certainly helped me with my gut health and I have experienced greater energy and mental clarity. One of the best things for busy singers is that it is great to make sure you have a healthy meal on the go or when traveling. Click here for more information about Shakeology.

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I hoped that's helped you for the singers on you list or even for yourself. I better get started on my shopping, decorating, card writing (yes, i still do cards), baking...

Merry Christmas to all you Fit Singers!