When you’re trying to push your music aspirations further or you are attempting to make a living from it, the fact is that being a musician is incredibly demanding because of the dynamism of the profession. Late nights, long rehearsals, and energetic performances can take their toll on our health, but it also means that prioritizing our health can take a back seat. There’s been a lot more focus on musicians prioritizing their health, and some even canceling tours to ensure they are looking after themselves. But for those who are not in a financial position to cancel any tour and make the most of every single opportunity, here’s a few things you can do to preserve your physical and mental faculties.

Exercising regularly

It’s one of those things that’s obvious, but so many people find it difficult to do any form of exercise while they are on the road. This is why it’s important to find the right type of thing for you. Consider investing in women’s gym sets to make it easier to stay active on the go. If you like going on a scooter, this is a fantastic type of exercise that’s going to benefit your cardiovascular health but also strengthen your joints and tendons because of the impacts. You can get a Jamie Hull Invert Journey 3 stunt scooter and take it on tour with you so you’ve got something to do in between setup and stage time.

Proper warmups

This is absolutely pivotal, especially for drummers who are constantly pummeling their instruments. You need to warm up and have a stretching routine that prepares your muscles and joints for the physical demands of playing, and this will reduce the risk of injuries. It also helps if you can go through the show before you get on stage, much like Travis Barker does. He spends time before getting on the stage running through the set, which means that when it’s time for them to hit the stage, he knows what he’s doing, and he can enjoy the moment so much more. Incorporating plant-based protein powder into your routine can support muscle recovery and overall performance.

Nurturing your mental well-being

Because there’s no safeguarding within the music industry, we’ve got to take it upon ourselves to look after our mental health. There are apps that we can all use, but it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by undertaking such a major practice every single day. In fact, there’s a lot more focus on breathwork these days to help maintain a steady state of wellness. The YouTube channel “Take a Deep Breath” has a number of different breathing practices that you can use to energize yourself, calm yourself down, or very simply look after your health. For example, heart coherence breathing, which involves breathing in and out for 5.5 seconds each through the nose, provides a number of benefits, including HRV (Heart Rate Variability).

Managing performance anxiety

A very common thing but can be overcome through visualization techniques and deep breathing exercises. Lots of musicians have the burning passion to perform, but need to remember that anxiety is a very normal thing that doesn’t need to take over your life.

It is vital that musicians, or in fact, any performers prioritize their health for the sake of a long and successful career. These are just a number of proactive approaches you can take that will maintain harmony when you are playing those harmonics.