7 Fitness Tips I Learned from Being a Musician

On one of my first days of music school, a professor shared that when she performed, she felt like an athlete. Looking around the room at the awkwardly shy group of freshman students (including myself), it was hard to believe that. But the idea of being an athlete while performing was fascinating to me. There were so many similarities! Finding time to exercise is like a musician finding time to practice. It’s an equal struggle. We never want our bodies to forget how to do something, just like musicians don’t want to get to the performance and forget the notes. Here are a few things I learned from music school that help me live a healthier life.

1. Learn how to breathe.

          Practicing breathing                                                Practicing circular breathing. 

Although we take this for granted, it’s important for both athletes and musicians alike to learn how to control our breathing. Musicians have to be conscious of where in their body to put the air they inhale. Some even do a thing called “circular breathing” and use exercises like trying to continuously blow bubbles into a cup with a straw to help make their breathing stronger. Learning how to breathe and when to breathe is a challenge, but there’s something about consciously deciding when to breath that helps improve any fitness routine including cardio workouts, weight training or yoga.

2. Yes, warming up IS important.

            

Warming up is essential to both fitness fans and musicians (as are stretches!).

We’ve all heard stories about people who go too hard at the gym and end up hurting themselves because they lacked a good and proper warm up. The same risk exists for musicians. Maybe some people can get away with doing some exercises without a warm up, but there always seems to be a negative consequence. Every trainer and musician has their own opinion of what a “proper” warm up is. I had a professor tell me about his teacher who said if he hadn’t practiced all of the scales before noon, there was no point in getting his instrument out. Whatever warm up you choose, make sure it involves stretching. Maybe you stretch before you warm up! Don’t cop out of warm ups. Your body will thank you later.

A look inside Boston Symphony Orchestra's brass section warm up. Hilarious.

3. Rhythm is everything.

                         Running in rhythm                        Members of I-75 Jazz Ensemble with Chris 

                                                                                    Buzzelli, Roger Schupp, David Bixler, and Jeff Halsey 

“Uh one, uh two, uh one, two, stankety stank!” Any musician will tell you that rhythm is a fundamental aspect to learning music. Most beginning musicians have a tendency to rush through the easy parts of the music and try to tackle the more difficult passages too quickly. I see this at the gym too. Finding the pacing of the each piece or exercise is sometimes challenging. Start slow and easy and work your way to the more difficult exercises. My music teacher always challenged me to play every note absolutely correct at a slower pace instead of playing 80% of the notes correctly and having to slow down for 20% of them. Musicians use metronomes to help pick their pacing and to help regulate their rhythm. Creating a well thought out gym playlist has the same effect as a metronome and can really regulate your endurance of your workout.

4. Too much pain? Find another solution.
 

Alternatives to the push up

Two different interpretations of the Brahms FAE Sonata

In music, many soloists will play the same piece. However, they all sound different because no two soloists’ bodies (and minds!) are the same. Using different techniques to play the same notes is common in music. We know what we want to sound like, but depending on our own ability, it’s up to us on how to get there. The same can be said for exercising. Maybe I want to tone up my shoulders. I’ve struggled with push ups since my elementary days, but dumbbell chest presses are an alternative that is similar and considerably easier for me to do. Find what works for you to make your sessions more productive and more enjoyable.

5. If you don’t know how to do something, ask.
 

 A trainer with their client                        Itzhak Perlman with a student 

Sometimes in our workout/practice sessions, we come to a spot where we don’t know what to do. Puzzled, we ask ourselves, “How do I...?”, “What do I...?”, “Maybe if I…” because we just don’t know what to do! Maybe it’s a piece of exercise equipment, or maybe it’s a difficult passage. We can try it out, but we don’t really KNOW if we are doing it correctly. Ask someone how to do it and what its purpose is. People generally like helping each other. If you’re a trainer, teacher or maybe you’re just a bystander or the kid in the next practice room, try to have a pleasant attitude and be supportive. Someone’s asking you to explain something unknown to them. Introduce it kindly.

6. Practice in front of a mirror.

 Check your frame and movement in the mirror.

Young flutist Kim Lewis checks her embouchure.

Looking in a mirror doesn’t have to be about vanity or egotism. It’s practical. Gyms and practice rooms alike have mirrors for its users. In the practice room, I generally saw people scrutinizing every movement of their lips or fingers, checking the positioning of their instrument and the positioning of their bodies and feet. At the gym, many people avoid the mirrors, but it’s important to check that we aren’t doing any extra movements unconsciously. Don’t worry about the girls trying to make their messy buns even messier or the bros who like to look at themselves flex. You know you’re doing your best, and with the mirror there to help you, you’re already a step ahead and gaining confidence.

7. Remember our heroes.

  Mickey Mantle and his injury

 David Vining and his book What Every Trombonist Needs to Know about the Body

Like a young baseball player admires athletes like Mickey Mantle who recovered from serious physical injuries, musicians have the same heroes. David Vining is a professional trombonist who overcame embouchure dystonia, which makes the muscles in the jaw and lips involuntarily contract, making it impossible for him to play his trombone at the time. He is currently still playing and teaching the trombone and has also written several helpful books for those who may be having similar struggles. In fitness and music, it’s incredibly easy to become discouraged. BUT, just remember one of the reasons we even do what we do, whether it’s playing soccer for a church team, working on our BOSU®, singing opera, or playing the tuba, is that we understand there is always a potential to get better at something we enjoy. And we bravely take that risk.

Janice Martin, Aerial Violinist

Have a fitness tip? We'd love to hear more tips you have to offer! Leave a comment or email melaniesmith62699@gmail.com.

This entry was contributed by Shannon Bolen, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Bowling Green State University in music education and currently listens to Matt and Kim in her car.