Preparation for performance is something which cannot be overlooked by anyone who contemplates appearing on stage in front of an audience. Many interesting things can be included in a rock singer's preparation which will give the singer a much easier time of it on stage. This month I am going to discuss some of the things a singer can do to prepare his or her body prior to performance.

Many singers think only of their voice when they prepare for a performance. Actually, much more is involved than just your voice. You should not neglect the rest of your body. Most of us don't exercise as much as we should, however exercise of any kind is extremely valuable to a singer. Exercise strengthens and coordinates your body, relieves tension, improves circulation, energizes your mind, relaxes your muscles, helps you to digest your food more effectively, prolongs your stamina and does wonders for relaxing your voice. Singers are athletes in every way and exercise is necessary for any athlete to be at his or her best.

A good form of exercise for anyone is walking. Most people in suburbia have very little use for this form of exercise, but singers should make it a point to include walking in their life pattern.

The best form of exercise for a singer is swimming. The components of fitness include strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance, all of which swimming will develop. If you include a variety of strokes, you will be able to exercise every muscle in your body. Although few people have immediate access to swimming pools, if you are a singer and you get the chance to use one, do it! If you are not fortunate enough to belong to a health spa, perhaps someone you know is. Try to get a guest pass and take advantage of the pool!

Jogging and/or running is more feasible for most people. It doesn't cost much to run; all you need is a good pair of sneakers. Running develops the heart and lungs and helps your cardiovascular system to run more effeciently. Eventually, it will also build up your general endurance.

There are many other forms of exercise that are extremely beneficial for singers. Yoga, aerobic dance, archery, hiking, roller skating, ice skating, bicycling, water sports such as kayaking, solo sailing, or solo canoeing, skiing, karate (or any martial art that does not include getting kicked in the rib cage or throat!), ballet, tap, jazz or body movement classes, dual sports like racquetball, squash, tennis, badmitton or fencing, golf, bowling and any of the team sports are all beneficial for singers. You should try to include some active sport in your daily schedule so that you are always physically prepared to give your best at a performance.

A singer needs to have full access to all the muscles in the body in order to sing. You cannot sing unless you are relaxed and you cannot be relaxed if the muscles in your neck and back are cramped. Exercises that relax your body, relax your voice.

After you have relaxed your body, you can then begin to focus your energies on warming up your larynx. If you have the opportunity, use some kind of vocal exercises to prepare. If you are working with a teacher you trust, follow his or her advice as to which exercises you should use. However, make sure you leave enough time after your warm-ups to allow your voice to settle before you go on stage.

Never over-vocalize. You don't want to burn yourself out before you get on stage. Vocalize just enough so that you can feel your voice ready to work, but make sure you leave enough energy to perform the music scheduled for that night. If you take these precautions you will minimize the damage that often haunts rock singers such as constant hoarseness.

In my next article I will be talking about other things you can do to prepare your voice besides aerobic exercise, as well as other things you can do for your body to make sure your voice is always there when you need it.