Warming up the voice

Warming up the voice is not just for singers, the researchers say. Think of it like stretching and loosening up before exercise. Easy, daily earm-ups for your voice:

1. Do lip or tongue trills in the morning (try in the shower or on your drive to work) to facilitate better use of airflow and breath
2. Perform gentle humming and cooing to warm up your voice in the morning 
3. If you do more vocally complex warm-ups too, such as vocal scales, do the simple warm-ups first
4. Repeat these exercises throughout the day to reduce muscular tension in the neck, shoulders and jaw
5. At the end of the day, perform a cool-down of the voice with similar vocal tasks