Musician Fitness Quick Tip Guide

Everyone likes to feel fit. It's rather easy to find info on how to stay fit in general, through standard exercise and work-outs. Musicians tend to have a few other things to consider, and thus may need to take different or additional steps to keep themselves in playing shape. Here are a few tips and tricks to stay fit as a musician.

• Make the instrument move to fit your body.
  
  I don't care if you want to play with your guitar slung down low or you want to point your trumpet to the floor. You shouldn't. Move your instrument to a place where it fits your body. It will be easier for you to move your hands where they need to be, you won't have to worry about contorting your body into weird shapes, and overall life will be much better if you move the instrument to suit you, instead of the other way around.
  
  Make small adjustments until it feels very natural to play, and nothing hurts, or feels tight or strained while playing.
  
  
• Stay away from cigarettes.
  
  This may sound like some kind of anti-drug ad, but in reality, all musicians should probably shy away from products like this.
  
  For wind players, they can impair your ability to breathe, which is kind of necessary to play.
  
  For everyone else, the breathing issues can still affect how you play since music can be and is very physical. Somewhat good cardio. Keeping cigarettes out of the equation will take away something that might cause some issues down the road.
  
  
• Do some breathing exercises.
  
  For wind players, breathing exercises can help to expand and strengthen your lungs and diaphragm, which are integral for maintaining strong air for playing.
  
  For string players, breathing like a wind player can help with phrasing and improve musicality.
  
  For drummers, guitarists, and bassists, breathing throughout playing means you stay alive (duh), and also helps to keep the group together, and play better in time with one another. The band that breathes together, plays together.
  
  
• Keep your hands strong, nimble, and safe.
  
  Most all musicians use their hands to manipulate their instrument (unless you play the didgeridoo, in which case you just need to hold that monster), and as such you should take care of them!
  
  Drummers-Keep your hands safe from the cold, and make sure they are relaxed. Tight hands, or too much playing, can lead to carpal tunnel. The cold can make that happen faster, so wear gloves (or mittens, mittens are warmer).
  
  Brass/woodwinds-Practice your music slowly at first so that your fingers (and your brain) get used to the patterns in the music. Your brain creates new, and (with thoughtful repetition) larger pathways for certain actions the more you do them, so practice slow before you go fast! Also, curve your fingers gently! They should look similar to if you drop your hands to your sides and maintain the natural curve of your fingers. It makes life easier.
  
  Guitar/bass/strings- You need to practice your patterns too. I don't care if 'you got it' practice anyway! Make sure your hand is curved gently, and that for the most part your thumb is on the back of finger/fret board, not the side. Practice pinching each of your fingers with your thumb for the proper way to hold your hand.
  
  
• RELAX!!
  
  The most important thing for any musician to do while playing is to be as relaxed as possible. I don't mean like a blob of jelly in your seat, I mean feeling calm, confident, and not tense.
  
  Tension in any kind of playing stresses and tightens the muscles in a way that makes it more difficult to perform for extended periods of time. If you ever want to play to a sold out crowd in a stadium, or to a full house at Carnegie Hall, you need to be relaxed and have fun!
  
  The best way to be relaxed is to practice, and play like you know what you are doing. 'Fake it til you make it' has served plenty of people well, but in this context I want you to play with confidence! Know what you are doing, and play it like it is the easiest thing in the world. If you make a mistake, don't worry about it! Even the best in the world fail every once in a while, I mean, Tiger Woods hasn't won a golf tournament in how long? He still makes the big bucks.
  
  

Overall, you should try to do things in the easiest way possible. Music is about fun, relaxation, catharsis, and conveying emotion without words. It brings people together, or helps them to expand how they think about life, the universe, and everything. Enjoy it! Practice well to play easily, and you will always enjoy making music with family, friends, colleagues, or new acquaintances.

Go forth and stay fit!