A Secret Weapon for Vocal Health
Vocal health is crucial for individuals who rely on their voices as a primary tool for communication or profession such as singers, public speakers, teachers, and of course Voiceover performers. There’s a lot that plays into taking care of your body and the voice box or larynx, which is composed of delicate tissues that can get easily strained or damaged. Good vocal health practices include staying hydrated, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, proper warm-up and cool-down exercises, and speaking within one's natural pitch range.
One amazing tool to help make that easier is a massager.
Not only does this help to relax and loosen the muscles in your jaw, neck, head, throat, even tongue, but it can be used to gently vibrate your vocal chords within your larynx to provide a little therapeutic massage to what is otherwise unaccessible.
Here are two that I use personally:
PureWave ~$150
Roll Recovery R1 ~$129
Some quick tips if you use one yourself:
Be gentle. It’s not a deep tissue massage, just a gentle warm up/cool down.
Don’t use directly on bone, only on muscle or soft tissues.
Take it easy. If it’s not for you it’s okay!
