Do your vocal cords get fatigued when you sing? Do you get red and sore and uncomfortable? If this is the case you probably aren't hydrated properly! Singing is hard on your body, especially if you perform under hot stage lights and sweat a lot. Staying hydrated is the most important thing you can do as a singer, and here's why. As a singer, you probably know a lot about how your diaphragm and vocal cords work. On the most basic level, when you sing your vocal cords vibrate and essentially clap together. Now, this is totally normal, but the problem lies with under-hydration. In order to keep your vocal cords from getting irritated, red, and swollen, you have to keep a healthy mucus membrane between your vocal cords, and water will help you do this!
For singers, especially before a performance, the experts reccomend between 6-8 glasses of water per day. Now that sounds like a ton of water, but everyone's body is different.The more you use up water, the more you have to ingest to maintain a good balance, so keep that in mind for if you're sweating a lot while you perform and sing. Also, consider a one to one ratio. If you drink a beer or a soda, chase it with a glass of water.
Now, don't get me wrong, you shouldn't chug six glasses of water before a performance. You should sip on water all day long. Chugging won't help you at all.
Another good trick to consider is drinking room temperature water. Drinking cold water can inhibit muscle function while hot water can relax your muscles too much. If you want to sing and sing well, you should sip on room temperature water for most of the day, and sip on room temperature water while you can during your performance.
To wrap this up, here are the six key things to remember:
- Drink 6-8 cups of water every day.
- Adjust the amount of water you consume to take into account sweating and caffeine.
- If your urine is starting to look clear or very pale yellow, you're perfectly hydrated.
- Drinking water at room temperature is better for you than drinking it hot or cold.
- Sip it, don't chug it.
- You should drink all day. Don't wait until you feel thirsty to hydrate.
We would love to help you stay hydrated all day long, which we know can be tricky to do. That is why we offer home and business water delivery plans so your water can be conveniently dropped off at your door!
