Stop looking for another straw exercise for your voice and watch this video.
I am going to tell you why straws will not save your voice and more importantly, what
you can do next to find a long-lasting solution for your vocal issue.
Hi!
I am Katarina, speech language pathologist and here on this channel, I share practical
tips about using your voice in a healthy way.
So, if this is a topic that interests you, consider subscribing to this channel and hitting
that bell notification icon so that you don’t miss any of my future videos.
Give me 5 minutes of your time to explain what straw exercises are, their limitations
and what you could be doing instead of another straw exercise.
Straw exercises are very popular nowadays.
When you scroll through the YT search, you will see many many videos promising great
results from doing straw exercises.
My favourite video about straw exercises is from my amazing mentor, speech-language pathologist,
executive speaker coach and voice teacher Tom Burke.
He was one of the first people to post a YT video about straws.
He called the video Straws will save your life.
And maybe that’s right for some people but he knows that straws are not an answer to
all vocal issues.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of straw phonation as a method to improve your injured
voice or to maintain good vocal health.
Many of those straw videos are mine.
You may have seen my video where I show off my collection of straws.
I have a big collection.
I love them and they have many benefits, but they also have limitations.
And they are definitely not a magical tool to solve all vocal problems.
The danger of straw exercises is to think that they are the answer for everything.
I’ve met many people who tell me: I have been hydrating my voice and I have been doing
straw exercises every day and my voice still hurts.
That’s because straws do not target pain.
Straw exercises have many benefits, and I‘ve talked about them in many of my previous videos.
But they also have limitations.
One of the biggest limitations is that their benefits are short-lived.
The amazing feeling you get after doing some straw phonation doesn’t last very long.
If you’ve tried straw exercises, you know that your voice feels great right after you
do them but one hour later, your voice feels tired or strained again.
And if you are wondering if you are doing something wrong, no, you are not doing anything
wrong.
It is what it is.
That’s what straw exercises are and they have limitations.
There are no quick fixes for voice problems.
And there is no one single exercise that would suddenly change all your vocal habits and
improve vocal function indefinitely.
If that was the truth, I as a voice therapist would be out of work.
So, here is what I suggest you do: Tip #1 Do straw exercises, if they work for
your voice If you’ve tried straw exercises before and
you can really feel benefits for your voice, continue doing them.
Even though their benefits last for a short time, do them.
You are probably releasing some tension, you are improving vocal fold closure, you are
making the vocal function more efficient.
If you are a vocal athlete with a healthy voice, continue doing them because straw exercises
are wonderful exercises to maintain good vocal health by resetting the vocal mechanism after
a challenging task or all day talking.
If they work for your voice and body, then just continue.
But realize that they are not magical, they do not address all vocal functions and they
have limitations.
Tip #2 Explore other options
There are many, many, many different techniques, exercises and approaches that your voice may
respond well to.
Don’t just simply follow the latest trend, but train or rehabilitate your voice in many
different ways.
Having several tools will help you develop versatility and flexibility in your voice.
If you don’t know where to start, talk to a voice coach, voice therapist or join my
Vocal Gym to get a 2-minute exercise every day.
Check out this link or links in the description below this video.
Tip #3 Get serious
If you are dealing with a long-standing or complex vocal issue, don’t try to fix it
with partial solutions.
Yes, straw exercises are great for many different vocal issues, but they are just one part of
a comprehensive approach.
And you will not find this comprehensive approach on YouTube or Google.
Talk to a voice specialist to help you guide you through the process.
You are in charge of your voice, you make the decisions, so make the right one.
If you’ve been dealing with a voice issue for a period of time, waiting is not the right
decision.
I said it and I stand behind it.
If you are experiencing vocal strain, tension or even pain when speaking, and you are ready
to work with me towards a free, strong and confident voice, you can apply to our Vocal
Freedom System coaching program.
Check out the links in the description below this video.
I also made a video, in which I walk you through 7 steps that lead to a strong voice without
tension.
If you want to know what body, voice and mind factors you need to consider to finally free
your voice, click the link in the description below this video.
If you found this video helpful, click the like button and share it with your friends.
And check out my other videos right here below.
I’ll see you there.
Bye.