Warm up before speaking

- For me, early morning presentations are the toughest. My voice isn't warmed up yet, and since I don't want the audience to hear me suffer through my craggy morning voice, I need to make sure I'm ready before I present. Let me share three quick vocal warmups for early morning presentations. Number one, get up early and get moving. I like taking a hot shower first thing in the morning. The motion plus the steam helps me clear my voice. Two, avoid cold drinks. Remember, you want to warm up, not cool down. Room temperature water is great for clearing your throat. Three, make sure to use your voice before you deliver your speech. I like to sing in the shower or in the car on the way to the presentation. And if you're not the singing type, you can always just talk. For example, it can help to practice the opening lines of your presentation out loud. Now, if I'm presenting later in the day, I have a different set of vocal challenges. In the afternoon or evening, my voice may sound tired or ragged. If you are presenting in the late afternoon or evening, keep two vocal basics in mind. Number one, save your voice. Talk, sing, or hum a little throughout the day to keep your voice warm, but try not to talk too much during the day. Two, room temperature water is still your best friend. Avoid drinking more caffeine than normal. If you're tired, it can be tempting to enjoy a cup of coffee or an icy cola, but you may find that each has a disadvantage. Coffee tends to dry out an already strained voice. The caffeine also tends to compound any pre-presentation jitters you might have and it can make your voice sound shaky. Also, avoid cold beverages, especially carbonated ones. The bubbles may cause you to burp a little while you're talking. You'll want to avoid that. And stay away from dairy products. Milk, cheese, yogurt, they make your voice sound thick and unclear. If you have a solitary job where you don't speak or interact with others for hours at a time, try warming up your face before you talk. Stretching your face muscles lets you display more emotional range. One facial warmup I like to do is brutally ugly. It's called small as a raisin, big as a pumpkin. And because it's so ugly, I do it privately. I wrinkle my face to try to make it as small as I can, as small as a raisin, and then I stretch my face to make it as large as I can. Think of that open mouth, bulging eyes of a jack o' lantern. I'll go back and forth from small to large to warm up my face and emotional range. And finally, warm up your body before you speak. Before you present, go somewhere private and try striking a few over the top, widely expansive postures. For example, stretch your arms over your head in a victory pose, or put your hands on your hips and puff out your chest like a superhero. Try some of these power poses like these for a few minutes before a presentation. Personally, I find warming up my body like this releases a lot of tension in my neck. Now, some of these warmups may sound a little silly to you, but I encourage you to try them. You might surprise yourself. A few simple warmups can prepare you for an outstanding delivery. They don't have to be fancy, but make sure your body, face, and voice are warmed up and ready the moment you begin.