I have a belly and weak core. I blame my first-year university singing teacher. Why? Because he gave a piece of advice that made probably sense to singers** but left me with 40+ years of bad posture and flabby tummy because I failed to engage my abs.
One student had transferred in from another university and the quirks of scheduling had her in our introductory voice class despite being in the voice performance program. It was good because we got to watch her sing, and that’s where the advice kicked in.
It was the early 1980s and we were all teenagers, so body conscious while wearing form-fitting clothing. I’m pretty sure every one of us spent a lot of energy trying to hold our tummies taut and flat; I know I did.
Singers need to move their diaphragms and so we were advised to relax and let them move – just like that skilled singer whose every breath we could see all the way down into her belly.
Did my teenaged brain understand that you needed muscles to push that diaphragm back up? No it did not. And did it ever think to get clarification or a second opinion from another teacher, or even that brilliant student? Also no.
With considerable age came wisdom (and sports coaches who encouraged me to seek out different instructors because everyone teaches the same things using different words).
Sometimes the words bounce off you. Sometimes they make sense and you are able to improve your form. Sometimes, those words provide a flash of insight that changes your workouts in fundamental ways. I have written before about one insight that worked really well for me here.
All that to say – my unsolicited advice for today is to explore and experiment. Seek out new teachers (even if it’s just someone offering yoga classes on YouTube). Listen to your body and your teachers. Question everything you don’t understand or that doesn’t feel right.
That all sounds obvious, but trust me, it is not. At least for me and my still semi-adolescent brain.
*The advice wasn’t really bad. It wasn’t even intended as a fitness thing. That’s on me.
**I am not a singer. It was a required class so that every music student would get at least an introduction to two other instruments and I happened to end up with voice and violin.
