The physics of support, what does that mean in singing? Understanding how your body works while singing, so that you can improve your technique and avoid injury.
The role of the abdominal wall
The abdominal muscles are the largest muscles in your body. They are an external oblique muscle, which means they run from the bottom of your ribcage to the top of your pelvis. These sheets of muscle help with torso stability and control breathing. The most important function for athletes is their ability to resist strain on your lower back and spine by keeping your core strong so you don’t injure yourself during a heavy lift or high impact movement like running or jumping.
The role of the abdominal wall during weight lifting is twofold: it protects our internal organs from injury, and it helps us maintain good posture throughout our activities. The rectus abdominis (or “six-pack”) flexes forward when performing sit-ups or crunches; however, this isn’t always necessary in athletics because other parts of our bodies often do this work instead—like pulling up on a barbell while doing squats while wearing weightlifting gloves!
The role of the pelvic floor
The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that support the pelvic organs.
The muscles in this area are also known as the pubococcygeus (PC) muscles, and they work to lift and contract in order to support these organs.
The role of the diaphragm
Did you know that the diaphragm is not only a primary muscle used to create breath support, but it also separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities?
The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that attaches to the base of your lungs. It’s made of a thin, elastic layer of muscle that contracts and relaxes with each breath. When you inhale, it flattens out like a parachute for maximum surface area contact with air; when you exhale, it contracts and moves downward into its original position. This is why people who have asthma or COPD often experience difficulty breathing—they have trouble moving their diaphragms effectively as they take in air from their lungs because their muscles have been weakened by disease.
The role of the ribcage and thoracic spine
When you think of the thoracic spine, what comes to mind? For many people, it’s that part of the spine that connects to your ribcage and protects your heart and lungs. However, this skeletal structure has a few more functions than just protecting key organs. It also acts as a support system for other parts of the body—specifically, it supports and stabilizes our arms when we’re lifting something heavy or playing sports.
The thoracic spine is made up of 12 vertebrae (these are bones that make up our spinal column). The ribs attach to these bones via muscles called costovertebral joints. These muscles help stabilize both the ribcage and vertebrae during movement by preventing them from moving around too much while doing physical tasks like lifting heavy objects or hitting balls in baseball or soccer games
How it all works together
If you’re a singer, or want to be one, you should understand how your body works together in order to sing more efficiently. You might be surprised at how much of your body gets involved in singing—even the toes!
Your abdominal wall and pelvic floor support your spine. They also help hold up the diaphragm and ribcage so that they can expand and contract when breathing happens. The ribs have muscles that stretch and relax with each breath; these muscles allow us to change the size of our lungs (and thus change the pitch) without moving any part of our vocal tract (mouth, tongue).
If you understand the physics of support during singing, it will help you to sing more effectively.
There are four main muscles that are involved in supporting the voice:
- The diaphragm (primary muscle of respiration)
- The abdominal wall (primary muscle of support)
- The pelvic floor (primary muscle of support for larynx and lower airway)
- Ribcage and thoracic spine (secondary muscles of support).
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