Central Pennsylvania musicians entering their middle age years know that staying active and challenging their minds are crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is also essential, however, that musicians keep their bodies in tip-top shape to avoid repetitive use or age-related injuries.

"Musicians, like athletes, need to stay fit in order to perform at the highest level," advises physical therapist Mark Smith, PT, clinic director of the Etters office of First Choice Rehabilitation Specialists. For musicians of the Baby Boomer era, Smith suggests consideration of the following questions:

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 or the conductor?
• 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?

Many adults have been advised for years that a brisk walk three times a week was sufficient, but physical therapists know that this is not enough. "People often concentrate on cardio and strength training,", says Smith. "Fitness for Baby Boomers must include posture, flexibility and balance."  

In the book "Age-Defying Fitness: Making the Most of Your Body for the Rest of Your Life (Peachtree,2006), co-author and physical therapist Carole B. Lewis identifies five domains of fitness for the musician: posture, strength, balance, flexibility and endurance. "All of these things, including challenging the mind, are interrelated," says Lewis. 

Posture
Posture is the position of a person's body when standing or sitting. Posture can start to deteriorate in your teenage years from the 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 and making it more difficult to play efficiently.

Strength
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 activities that are physically exerting. This is especially important for pianists and percussionists who need to have strong forearms, as well as instrumentalists, such as trumpeters who reply on upper body strength to hold up the instrument. 

Endurance
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 take more energy to remain physically active. With poor endurance you tire quickly and the time you can spend playing and practicing is reduced. Your ability to breathe properly and play your best is also diminished.

Flexibility
Flexibility is your ability to move and bend. Loss of flexibility is a natural result of aging due to loss of collagen, the fibrous connective tissue that make up 30% of body tissue protein. Loss of flexibility can lead to loss of playing ability and agility on just about any instrument. Movements as simple as playing certain chords become difficult.  Range of motion is particularly important for instruments such as trombone.

Balance
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, and less able to perform tasks like playing while standing or moving to the music.

Lewis suggests that performing artists of the Baby Boomer age would benefit from a baseline assessment from a physical therapist who is familiar with treating musicians, like Mark Smith, PT. He can perform an instrument-specific evaluation and suggest a customized workout that will also optimize your playing ability.

By Mark Smith, PT