Working to strengthen and coordinate vocal folds, these exercises are in a sense , physical therapy for your vocal cords. Designed to promote natural wave, and regain balance among airflow, muscles, and resonance. Credit: These are a combination of exercises adopted from Joseph Stemple and the PhoRTE program.
*It is recommended that you check with your physician and/or ENT before engaging in these exercises. Naples Speech Therapy is not liable for any injury or pain resulting from the below exercises.*
Pitch glides: goal- no voice breaks. Using “knoll” or “whoop” going from lowest to highest pitch and then from highest to lowest pitch in order to promote vocal fold stretching, muscular control, and flexibility. Try to feel a “half yawn” in your throat as you practice this.
Functional phrases: Develop 10 ‘functional’ phrases. These should be common phrases you say throughout the day. Your spouse or family may be able to help you with this, since they listen to you all day long :). Write them down (in large print if needed) and say them all the way through in the following tones: #1 Loud and bossy voice, #2 Call over the fence voice (imagine there is a barrier between you and your communication partner, whether it be a wall or another room). Do this 2x per day.
Sustained AH: Take a deep breath (deep down from your diaphragm!) and let out a loud AH. It is recommended that you time your productions to achieve a baseline and assess for ongoing progress. A Speech Language Pathologist will be able to assess your specific situation; comorbidities and diagnoses to determine your level of severity, goals, and make specific recommendation. However, a good rule of thumb is to aim >15 seconds.