Top 5 Tips For Keeping Your Vocal Cords Healthy

How To Keep Your Vocal Cords Healthy
Guest blog by Tracy Powers

When you love singing, your vocal cords are your bread and butter. Without them, you
won’t be able to do what you love! That is why taking care of your vocal cords (get the book) and
keeping them healthy is important.

In this blog post, you’ll learn some of the reasons why keeping your vocal cords healthy
is important and tips on how to do it.

The Importance of Keeping Your Vocal Cords Healthy
Your vocal cords are made up of two thin sheets of muscle that vibrate when you speak
or sing. This vibration produces the sound that comes out of your mouth.
If your vocal cords are not healthy, they will not be able to vibrate as efficiently, resulting
in a vocal strain or a breathy voice. Additionally, if your vocal cords are inflamed or
swollen, they will not be able to vibrate properly, leading to a loss of voice entirely.
Here are a few reasons why keeping your vocal cords healthy is crucial.
Prevention of vocal cord damage
The first and most obvious reason to keep your vocal cords healthy is to prevent
damage. Your vocal cords are delicate and can be easily damaged if you’re not careful.
Singing excessively or without proper technique can strain your vocal cords and lead to
damage. This damage can range from minor irritation and inflammation to more serious
problems like nodules, polyps, or cysts. Taking care of your vocal cords and using
the proper vocal technique can help prevent this damage.

Improved sound quality
Another reason to keep your vocal cords healthy is that it can improve the quality of
your voice. When your vocal cords are healthy, they vibrate more efficiently, which
results in a richer, fuller sound. On the other hand, unhealthy vocal cords can
produce a harsh, raspy sound.
Increased endurance
When your vocal cords are healthy, you’ll be able to sing for longer periods without
tiring out quickly. This is because healthy vocal cords vibrate more efficiently than
unhealthy ones, so they don’t require as much energy to produce sound.
If you want to sing all night long without losing steam, take care of your vocal cords!
5 Tips for Keeping Your Voice Healthy
Many things can cause damage to your vocal cords, including smoking, overuse,
dehydration, acid reflux, viral infections, and allergies. That’s why it’s important to
protect your vocal cords and keep your voice healthy.
Here’s how to ensure a healthy singing voice:
1. Drink lots of water
A voice specialist knows that this one is crucial! Staying hydrated is the key to keeping
your singing voice healthy.
When you drink plenty of water, it helps to keep your body—and your vocal
cords—well-lubricated. This can prevent irritation and inflammation, two common
causes of hoarseness.
Staying hydrated support vocal health. And when your vocal cords are healthy, you’ll be
able to sing with power, clarity, and different vocal ranges.
So next time you reach for a beverage, make sure it’s water—it’s good for your singing
and speaking voice!
2. Use humidifiers

The quality of your voice is dependent on a number of factors. These include the
acoustics of the room, the level of tension in your vocal cords, and the amount of
moisture in your throat.
In dry conditions, mucus membranes can become irritated and inflamed, leading to
hoarseness and a loss of range. Humidifiers help to counteract these effects by adding
moisture to the air, soothing the vocal cords and preventing dehydration.
In addition, humidifiers can also reduce the risk of infection by keeping bacteria and
viruses from spreading through the air. As a result, using a humidifier can be an
effective way to protect your healthy voice and keep your vocal range sounding its best.
3. Practice good posture
Good singing requires good posture. That’s because proper alignment allows the
breath to flow freely, giving the vocal cords the necessary support to produce a clear,
powerful sound.
When you slouch, however, the breath is constricted, and the vocal cords are strained,
resulting in a weak or muffled voice.
In addition, good posture helps to prevent fatigue and strain on the muscles of the
back and neck, which can lead to tension headaches and other problems.
For all these reasons, it’s important to practice good posture when singing. Not only will
it improve your sound, but it will also help you to avoid pain and injury. So stand up
straight and sing your heart out!
4. Warm up before singing
Did you ever try to sing a high note and your voice cracks? This is because your vocal
cords are not yet ready to produce that sound. Like the other muscles in your body, your
vocal cords must be warmed up before they can be used to their full potential.
Warming up before singing helps to:
● increase blood flow to the cords, making them more elastic and less likely to
crack
● loosen mucus and secretions in your vocal folds that can, if left unchecked, lead
to hoarseness or even nodules on the vocal cords
● ease into using your singing voice, preventing strain or injury

A good warm-up routine should include some simple exercises that stretch the
muscles around the mouth and throat, as well as some deep breaths. By taking the
time to warm up properly, you’ll be setting yourself up for a successful performance.
5. Rest your voice
When your voice is tired or hoarse, it is important to rest it.
When you rest your voice, you allow it to heal and recover from any damage that may
have been done.
In addition, vocal naps allow you to work on other aspects of your singing, such as
breath support and diction. As a result, taking a break from singing when your voice is
tired can actually help you become a better singer in the long run.
So next time your vocal health is feeling rough, take a break and give it some time
to rest. Your singing voice will thank you for it!
Taking care of your vocal cords is essential if you want to keep singing! Following these
simple tips can help ensure that your vocal cords stay healthy and strong.