Are You Fit as a Fiddle? The Five Domains of Physical Health
Professional musicians know that staying active and challenging the mind are key to maintaining a healthy and productive worklife. But in order to have a long and fruitful career, it is also important that you keep your body in tip-top shape.
That’s the message of physical therapist Dr. Marilyn Moffat of New York University, co-author of the book Age-Defying Fitness: Making the Most of Your Body for the Rest of Your Life (Peachtree, 2006). “Musicians should not use their instrument as a means of keeping fit, but should stay fit in order to play,” she advises.
Do you think you are already quite fit? Ask yourself these questions:
- Is it harder to turn, while playing, and look at your fellow musicians?
- Do you get stiff sitting through a practice session or gig?
- Try standing on one foot while playing your instrument. Is it difficult or impossible for you?
- Is it getting more difficult to load your equipment and/or instrument into your car?
If you answered yes to any of these questions you may not be as healthy as you thought.
For many years adults were told that a brisk walk three times a week was enough to keep fit, but that’s just not true. “People often concentrate on cardio and strength training,” says Moffat. “But staying fit has to be comprehensive, including posture, flexibility, and balance.”
In Age-Defying Fitness Moffat and co-author Carole B. Lewis, who is an adjunct professor at George Washington University and also an amateur pianist and guitarist, identify five domains of a complete fitness regiment.
“All these things, including challenging the mind, are interrelated,” explains Moffat. A balanced exercise routine needs to be as much a part of your worklife as your practice sessions and concerts.
Moffat and Lewis caution that anyone over the age of 50 should visit a physical therapist for help in getting started. You should also be sure to mention the instruments you play to get a customized workout that will optimize your playing ability.
The Five Domains
Posture is the position of a person’s body when standing or sitting. Posture can start to deteriorate in your teenage years from time spent seated in front of a desk or music stand. Poor posture can cause backaches and strains. Plus, breathing is less efficient making playing wind instruments more difficult. Poor posture also causes tension, leading to muscle imbalances.
Strength is the power to resist strain. With age overall muscle size and strength declines, along with the energy supply and circulation to muscles, affecting your overall ability to participate in exerting activities. Strength is especially important for pianists and percussionists who need to have strong forearms, as well as instrumentalists, such as trumpeters who rely on upper body strength to hold up their instrument.
Endurance is the ability to perform an activity for a prolonged period of time. All of the previous domains affect endurance because if your body is weak, inflexible, and unbalanced, it will use more energy. With poor endurance the time you can spend playing and practicing is reduced, as is your ability to breathe properly and play your best.
Flexibility is your ability to move and bend. Loss of flexibility can lead to loss of ability and agility on just about any instrument.
Balance is body equilibrium or stability. Loss of muscle mass, combined with tightening and weakening, and decreased range of movement alters our balance. Decreased circulation slows the brain’s response to balance challenges. Poor balance makes musicians more prone to falls and less confident.
