THE POOL DECK
THE VOICE – AQUA STYLE!
A basic understanding of how the throat works can help prevent or rectify
that blight of aqua instructors, inflammation of the vocal cords.
WORDS: JENNIFER SCHEMBRI-PORTELLI
ike instructors of many forms of
group exercise, most aqua
instructors don’t think about
looking after their throats until their voices
start to fail. And to make matters worse,
when trying to remedy the problem many
will actually reinforce bad habits!
L
Respiratory system
The Do’s and Don’ts of good
voice practice
Good voice to ouch!
Have you ever wondered why your strong
powerful voice has got a little husky – not
necessarily sore, but raspy?
The reason is inflammation of the vocal
cords. I strongly recommend you view some
videos on YouTube regarding the anatomy
of the vocal folds (or cords) – both weird and
fascinating at the same time.
So how does it happen? A basic
understanding of the anatomy of the throat
will provide some insight into how the
problem may be rectified.
Addressing anatomy
The larynx and the vocal folds are the
‘working’ bits of the throat that enable
you to speak. Like all muscles, the larynx
and vocal folds have a set of nerves that
activate the ‘motion’ to create sound.
The lungs are a reservoir of air. Fill
54 | NETWORK SPRING 2014
them from the diaphragm, not from the upper shoulders, and don’t gasp for breath.
Participant-wise, the hydrostatic pressure (particularly in the deep water) may place an
extra burden, especially on those who present with a lung condition such as asthma.
All instructors should incorporate prone or supine exercises that allow the pressure of
the water off the chest.
The voice box is a transformer of air to energy – don’t shout from the neck.
The mouth and nasal cavities are resonators – use them like a megaphone.