7 Voice Exercises to Boost Your Podcast Clarity

Want to sound better on your podcast? Try these 7 exercises:

1. Lip Trills: Warm up your voice
2. Tongue Twisters: Sharpen articulation
3. Vowel Stretching: Improve resonance
4. Consonant Practice: Refine pronunciation
5. Pitch Changes: Add variety
6. Breath Control: Support projection
7. Speaking Clearly: Polish overall clarity

Practice 10-15 minutes daily for noticeable improvements.

Key tips:

• Warm up before recording
• Stay hydrated
• Stand while recording
• Practice consistently

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Getting Ready

Before diving in, prep your body and mind to avoid vocal strain.

Warm-up Steps

1. Physical warm-up:

• Quick jog or jump
• Dynamic stretches (core, shoulders, neck, jaw)
• Head rolls

2. Facial exercises:

• Cheek massage
• Lip jiggling
• Talk with tongue out

3. Breathing exercises:

• Hand on chest, other on belly
• Slow, deep breaths (belly rises, not chest)
• 4-4-4-4 technique: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4

"We want our belly to be rising. When we take that deep breath, that's a diaphragmatic breath." - Melissa Young, Functional Medicine Specialist

Good Posture and Breathing

Posture check:

1. Back against wall
2. Head, shoulders, hips touch wall
3. Step away, maintain alignment

Stay hydrated. Avoid dairy, alcohol, and coffee before recording.

Exercise 1: Lip Trills

Lip trills warm up your voice and improve clarity. Make a "brrrr" sound by blowing air through closed lips.

How to Do Lip Trills

1. Stand in front of a mirror 2. Relax jaw, cheeks, and lips 3. Deep breath, expanding ribs and belly 4. Exhale slowly with pursed lips 5. Blow air to create a buzzing sound

Tips:

• Push up corners of mouth with fingers
• Try tongue trills if lip trills are hard
• Practice in short bursts

Why Lip Trills Help

"Lip trills are great for training efficient breath control and balanced tone." - Camille Van Niekerk, 30 Day Singer Blog

Exercise 2: Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters challenge articulation and strengthen speaking muscles.

Picking Tongue Twisters

Try these classics:

1. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers"
2. "She sells seashells by the sea-shore"
3. "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

For a real challenge:

"The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" - Guinness Book of World Records' toughest tongue twister

How They Help Your Speech

To maximize benefits:

1. Start slow, emphasize each sound
2. Increase speed while maintaining clarity
3. Practice daily for 5-10 minutes
4. Focus on problem sounds

Exercise 3: Stretching Vowels

Vowel stretching improves voice clarity and fullness.

How to Stretch Vowels

1. Start with A, E, I, O, U, and Ah
2. Combine with letters A through G
3. Elongate each vowel sound
4. Practice in front of a mirror

Example:

Aa, Ae, Ai, Ao, Au, Aah Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu, Bah (Continue through G)

How It Improves Your Voice

Steve Blum, Voice Actor Trainer, says:

"The whole idea of this is just to let everything go so that you can get as ugly as you possibly can and have fun with it too."

Exercise 4: Consonant Practice

Consonant practice makes your words crisp and easy to understand.

Types of Consonant Exercises

1. Plosive Practice

• Focus on p, t, k, and b
• "Pat, tap, cat, bat"
• "Pup, tut, kuk, bub"

2. Consonant Combinations

• "Bah dah gah pah dah gah"
• "Boo doo goo poo doo goo"
• "Sah Kah She Fah Rah"

3. Tongue Twisters

• "She sells seashells by the seashore"
• "The tip of the tongue, the teeth and the lips"

4. Speed Drills

• "Gutta butta, gutta butta, butta gutta, butta gutta"
• "Mah nah lah Thah vah zah"

How It Helps Your Speech

Andrea Klunder, Podcasting Expert, notes:

"People are going to listen to your show... because they're going to stick with your show and become a fan of your show for the longterm when they feel a connection with you as the host."

Tips:

• Start slowly for clarity
• Open mouth wider
• Use stomach muscles for breath support
• Practice a bit louder

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Exercise 5: Changing Your Pitch

Changing pitch keeps listeners engaged and adds depth to your content.

How to Change Your Pitch

1. Siren Exercise

• Deep breath from lower abdomen
• Slide voice up one octave on "Yay"
• Slide back down smoothly
• Repeat 5-6 times a week

2. Character Voice Practice

• Pick a script line
• Say it as different characters (e.g., Minnie Mouse, Santa Claus)

3. Scales

• Sing musical scales
• Start low, work up, then back down

Keeping Listeners Interested

"One really cool, fun, easy exercise for finding new ways to say a line is to rehearse it using different character voices." - Jessica Hansen, Vocal Coach

Remember:

• Record and listen back
• Use pauses to emphasize pitch changes
• Practice regularly

Exercise 6: Breath Control

Breath control helps you speak clearly and maintain a steady voice.

Breath Control Exercises

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
• One hand on chest, other on stomach
• Breathe in deeply through nose, feel stomach expand
• Exhale slowly through mouth
• Repeat 5-10 times

2. The Square Breath

• Inhale for 4 counts
• Hold for 4 counts
• Exhale for 4 counts
• Hold for 4 counts
• Repeat, gradually increasing counts

3. The Hiss Exercise

• Deep breath
• Exhale slowly with "ssssssss" sound
• Maintain hiss as long as possible
• Aim to increase duration

4. Dirga Pranayama (Three-Part Breath)

• Hands on ribs
• Inhale, feel lower belly expand
• Continue inhaling, feel ribs expand
• Let breath fill upper chest
• Exhale in reverse order
• Repeat 7-10 times

How It Helps Your Voice

"When we can learn to relax and even extend the space between our inhale and exhale with ease, we can learn to more gracefully move in the spaces between work and active creation." - Natalie Roy, Actor and Certified Yoga Instructor

Exercise 7: Speaking Clearly

Speaking clearly is crucial for podcasters. Here are exercises to improve clarity.

Clear Speech Exercises

1. Exaggerated Articulation

• Speak slowly, over-pronounce each word
• Focus on lip, tongue, and jaw movement
• Practice with tongue twisters

2. The Pencil Technique

• Hold pencil horizontally between teeth
• Read aloud, working to speak clearly
• Remove pencil, repeat paragraph

3. Slow-Motion Speaking

• Say a sentence as slowly as possible
• Form each sound precisely
• Gradually increase speed while maintaining clarity

4. Record and Review

• Record yourself reading a short script
• Listen back, note unclear words
• Re-record, focusing on improvements

Benefits of Daily Practice

"Regular practice of vocal exercises can enhance the sound quality of your podcast, making it feel more professional and listenable." - Podcasting Expert

Using These Exercises

Practice regularly and strategically for best results.

How Often to Practice

Consistency is key. Even 10 minutes daily can lead to noticeable improvements.

Preparing for Your Podcast

Before recording:

1. Warm up for 10 minutes
2. Stay hydrated
3. Stand while recording

Checking Your Progress

To track improvement:

• Record weekly practice sessions
• Listen back for clarity, pacing, and quality
• Ask for feedback
• Adjust routine to target weak areas

Wrap-up

Quick Review of Exercises

Keep Practicing

Make these exercises part of your daily routine. Even 10 minutes a day can lead to big improvements. Warm up for at least 10 minutes before recording.

Long-term Improvements

With regular practice, you'll notice:

• Clearer speech
• Better breath control
• More engaging vocal variety
• Less vocal strain during long sessions

FAQs

How to train your voice for podcasting?

1. Improve posture: Stand or sit straight while recording
2. Eliminate filler words: Practice speaking without "um" or "like"
3. Increase vocal energy: Speak with intention and enthusiasm
4. Focus on enunciation: Clearly pronounce each word
5. Practice breath control: Try the 4-4-4-4 breathing exercise
6. Stay hydrated: Drink water, avoid dairy, alcohol, and coffee
7. Warm up your voice: Do quick exercises before recording

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