There will be changes to your singing voice when you live a fit and healthy lifestyle, but does it answer the question; does fitness and body type affect your singing voice? So many people have been left in a fix wondering what the answer to this question might be, but you will experience changes to the way you breathe, resonate, and sing when you exercise. Everything happens to be at its best levels when you keep a fit and healthy lifestyle.
How much food you consume on a daily basis and what you weight have nothing to do with fitness, but living a healthy life and feeling really good is the priority of wanting to get fit. This article will provide you with more information on a singers body type and fitness life can affect their voice, tips a singer can use in developing a healthy voice, and and what body type helps in enhancing a singer’s voice.
A fact so many people are not aware of is the role the body plays when singing or when you want to produce a sound, but feeling comfortable in your own skin when you want to record or perform at a live stage is what really matters. There is no perfect sketch regarding what a singer should look like before hitting the stage to perform, because a person can go on and become a very good singer irrespective of their body type or shape.
Certain standards in the society has painted a picture of how a female singer should look before going on the big stage to perform, but the only thing a singer needs to be aware of is living healthy and happy. The combination of a good diet and exercise is what a singer needs in order to maintain good health, and there are some unofficial names that best describes some body types. This names are pear, hourglass, and apple shapes.
Terms Used In Describing A Body Type
However, there are three scientifically proven names that best describes the body, and they are listed below;
- The ectomorph
- The Endomorph
- The mesomorph
The Ectomorph
The ectomorph explains the body type that is built to be thin, lean, and struggles with putting on some weight. Despite looking lean or weak, the ectomorphs are as strong as other body types.
The Endomorph
People who have the endomorph body type will put on weight with ease, but getting rid of the weight is something they will constantly struggle with. Wide hips, short limbs, and a pear shape are features that best describes people with the endomorph body type, but they can go on to be as fit as other body types. The only problem endomorphs face is they have to train very hard to lose some weight.
The Mesomorph
The people with the mesomorph body type are known to have a high muscle development, broad shoulders, fast metabolism, and responsive muscle cells, and these people are known to have well built bodies, muscular, and lean bodies.
It is a little bit difficult sometimes to say you fall under a particular body type category, and possessing characteristics from all other body types is very likely. Trust me when i say every body has its uniqueness, so disregarding or downplaying a particular body type is the wrong thing to do. In some cases, maintaining a particular body type all through your lifetime can be very difficult.
Does Fitness And Body Type Affect Your Singing Voice
Just like we stated at the beginning of this article, a singer’s body type has the ability to influence how you sing, and this can be seen through breathing techniques. Having a clear understanding about this will show you what vocal habits to pick up and how to continue embracing your body type.
Ectomorphs
Singers with the Ectomorph body type will breath high up the thoracic system, and this breathing style falls under the pan coastal breathing technique. The ectomorphs makes use of their rib cage and not their chest when breathing, but breathing with the diaphragm involves drawing of deep. This is the breathing technique common among many singers.
Mesomorphs
People with this body type make use of their side and back muscles to breathe, which tends to expand the rib cage. Making use of the coastal breathing technique is another attribute of people with the mesomorph body type, and this is constantly used in pilates. People with the mesomorph body have to be very careful when singing so they do not over engage the abdominal muscles. It can cause a reduction in breath control.
Endomorphs
Breathing lower in the thoracic region are what singers with this body type do, and they make use of the appoggio breathing technique. Aligning the neck, head, and rib cage is what the appoggio technique is all about, and it does this when the diaphragm moves downwards as a result of the expansion of the rib cage. Surprisingly to so many people, singers with this body type will get tired easily when singing.
Does Weight Affect The Body When You Sing
Weight tends to affect a male and female singer differently, and we all know that being overweight is likely to cause some form of imbalance and changes in the body of a female. Having a higher body mass is capable of altering a female singer’s pitch and it also causes the female body to produce more male hormones. A little increase in the production of testosterone in a woman’s body can also affect how a woman sings.
It lowers their pitch and causes the voice to sound masculine. Having a higher body mass for females is likely to form a deeper and lower voice. It is a known fact that female singers face constant pressure to look a certain way, but living a happy and healthy life is the right way to live. There are several singers that have made songs towards promoting body positivity, and below is a list of these singers;
- Demi Lovato
- Hailee Steinfield
- Lizzo
- Mary Lambert
- Alessia Cara
- Janelle Monae
Obesity on the other hand comes with a lot of problems that could weigh a singer’s voice down. These problems include low self-esteem, tiredness, and breathlessness, and all of these problems tends to affect day to day life. There are studies which prove that being obese is capable of altering a singer’s voice, and it is also capable of changing how you feel about yourself.
Being obese can reduce a singer’s vocal range and quality, and the aerodynamics of the voice will deteriorate when you carry too much weight. Obesity has constantly been linked with low confidence and depression, and it can make getting up on stage to perform very difficult. If you do not feel good climbing the stage to power, there is no way your voice will have the power and gusto it requires to engage the audience.
Having The Right Attitude Towards Your Body
Paying so much attention to your body might cause you to have a negative mindset about your body, and every singer especially females should know this. It is completely okay for a singer to look healthy and fit, but avoiding pressured to look a certain way is the right attitude to keep. The confidence a singer has reflects in the way they sing, and embracing self love is a good step every singer should take when taking singing as a career.
Discovering few things about yourself everyday is key in the life of a singer, and saying these things to yourself in front of a mirror will make you appreciate yourself more. You can choose to write them down and stick them to the wall of your wardrobe, and you will experience a boost in confidence when your eye meets these things you have written down. Converting the negative voice in your head to a positive one will make a difference in a singer’s life.
You can get to express yourself through the clothes you wear and feel comfortable in it, and what matters is also being you and focusing on what will help you become a successful singer. Comparing your body type to other body types isn’t the right attitude for any singer. Like we said earlier, people have various body, types, shapes and sizes, and any of these shapes, body types, or size can go ahead and be a very good singer.
Conclusion – Does Fitness And Body Type Affect Your Singing Voice
However, knowing what part of the body play a vital role when you sing is something every singer must figure out. This means your body type, height, and stamina all have roles to play when you sing, and they are very essential in your voice sounds and functions. Knowing that every body type is unique is the first idea you need to have in your head, so look away from societal standards and beliefs.
Avoiding social media and comparing yourself with other singers with different body types will only fuel self-doubt. As a singer you do not need an energy that will affect your performance, so not hiding behind baggy outfits but looking comfortable in your clothes is one of the ways you can boost your confidence.
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