Learn to relax with public speaking exercises.

Do you stretch before participating in sports? Do you warm up your hands before playing a musical instrument? If you answered yes then you should also stretch and warm up before speaking in public. (Even if you answered no, you still should get into a routine of practicing public speaking exercises before presenting.

We warm up to prevent injury. We also stretch to play or move better. It relaxes our muscles and calms our minds.

Here are some exercises to consider prior to going on stage.

Warm up your vocal cords.

By stretching your facial muscles and tongue you improve diction. This means you will be less likely to slur or stumble over words.

Try this;

1. Run your tongue around your gums. Stretch your tongue to reach the corners of your mouth. (Do this 4-5 times.)
2. Stick tongue out and try to touch your nose. Really stretch.
3. Squish and stretch your face.
4. Exaggerate chewing gum.
5. Say the ‘AEIOU’ a few times. This loosens the lips and warms you up for proper pronunciation.

Warm up your upper body.

1. Tilt your head forward, back and side to side.
2. Do shoulder and neck rolls.
3. Stretch out your hands and fingers.
4. Shake out your hands.

Warm up your lower body.

1. Stretch out both legs.
2. Shake out one leg, then the other. Hold on to a chair for balance.
3. Grab hold of a chair and use the opposite hand to grasp the leg at the ankle, lifting towards your buttocks. Do the same for the other leg. This stretches out your hamstring muscles.

Warm up your eyes.

With your eyes, look straight up at the 12 o’clock position. Then look at the 3, 6, 9 and back to the 12 position. Do this a few times.

Take a few deep breaths and let the air out slowly.

Add any other stretching or warm-up exercises that you like. I tend to bounce on my toes and walk or jog a little before I speak. It is a good idea to practice these exercises out of sight of anyone to avoid having to explain what you are doing.

Also, be careful not to stretch or warm up too vigorously. Always check with your doctor first before conducting any new forms of exercise.

Done before a presentation, any type of public speaking exercises will help you relax and speak like a professional.

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