The Warm-Up: a thing we hear so much about and yet warm-ups in an instrumental sense are often used to describe technical exercises instead of warming up the body. Athletics research has shown us that warming our body tissues increases muscle blood flow, heat, coordination and sensation (Cilli et. al., 2014). Warming also reduces the risk of injury by making tissues more pliable (Yildiz et al., 2013).

Getting hands warm before instrumental practice can be one of the healthiest maintenance strategies a performer can take to maintaining optimal performance.

Routine Exercise Raises Body Temperature

Maintaining a regular exercise routine increases the body’s metabolism causing the body to burn more calories, even when at rest. Our bodies regulate our core temperature by controlling blood flow to our extremities and through sweating. With an increase in metabolism the body will regulate core temperature by releasing heat through the hands and feet.

A good way to increase baseline hand temperature is by building muscle. In a study by Payne, Macintosh and Stock (2018) it was found that skeletal muscle mass had a greater role in maintaining hand temperature during exposure to cold environments than fat. Muscles keep the body warm!

Back in 2013…

Back in 2013 my hand pain got so bad that I finally gave in and went to a hand therapy clinic. I had numbness in my fingers and pain through my wrists. The hand therapist found three large causes to my pain: 1. playing with cold hands 2. hypermobility in all three right thumb joints 3. repetitive stress injury. The repetitive stress is unavoidable, that is just what happens when you play clarinet for hours on end. The hypermobility is genetic and can be assisted with braces and neck straps (more on this in a future post). But the cold hands! I had always had cold hands and even when they started to get warm, as soon as I touched the cold metal keys of the clarinet they would lose their heat. Routine exercise involving a mix of strength training and cardio has shown the greatest betterment. In addition, here’s my pre-practice warm-up.

Pre-Practice Warm-Up

In addition to exercising regularly, warm up your body before practicing. Here’s what you can do:

1. Do 5-10 minutes of aerobic activity (such as running, biking, etc.) while maintaining your target heart rate between 60% and 70%.

2. Do stretches to reduce muscle stiffness, holding each for at least 30 seconds.

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know your experiences with exercise influencing your musical performance and what warm-ups work for you in the comments.

References

Cilli, M., Gelen, E., Yildiz, S., Saglam, T., & Camur, M. (2014). Acute effects of a resisted dynamic warm-up protocol on jumping performance. Biol Sport, 31(4), 277-282. https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1120935

Payne, S., Macintosh, A., & Stock, J. (2018). Body size and body composition effects on heat loss from the hands during severe cold exposure. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 166(2), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23432

Yıldız, S., Çilli, M., Gelen, E., & Güzel, E. (2013). Acute effects of differing duration of static stretching on speed performance. International Journal of Human Sciences, 10(1), 1202-1213.