Why going to the gym can help prevent your voice from aging

There’s a lot of advice out there about how to keep skin smooth and muscles strong as we age, but there’s one aspect of aging that most of us never think about: our voice.

Not only can the quality of our voice become as ‘aging’ as wrinkles, but experts say we should take steps to preserve it, because if we don’t we risk social isolation and even depression.

Last month, 75-year-old singer Lulu said she regularly practices her voice to maintain it and does not speak before noon on days she performs.

“It surprises most people that the voice is part of the aging process, but it is,” says Ruth Epstein, a speech and language therapist based in London.

‘The vocal folds (in the larynx or larynx) are among the smallest muscles we have. When we think about what happens to other muscles as we age, it’s clear that they are also affected.’

While there is a lot of advice on how to keep skin smooth and muscles strong as we age, there is very little advice on how to keep our voices young (Stock image)

As we age, our voices may become quieter, but 20 percent of older adults will develop a voice disorder, in which the voice does not work properly and becomes weak or shaky (Stock Image)

As we age, our voices may become quieter, less expressive and increasingly shaky, but 20 percent of older adults will develop a voice disorder, according to research published last year in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. can no longer speak. does not work as it should, causing you to become weak or unsteady, for example.

These changes can have far-reaching consequences and even lead to depression. “Many people accept that their voice becomes weaker as they get older and that they withdraw and communicate less,” says Ruth Epstein.

“There is a profound emotional impact.” There are several reasons for these changes. “Over time, our vocal folds become stiffer and less flexible,” she explains.

‘There is also a reduction in muscle mass which begins to affect the speed, strength and endurance of the laryngeal muscles (which control voice volume and power).

‘There is reduced sensitivity in these muscles as they age, which affects their ability to contract.’ This can make our voice hoarse.

“Meanwhile,” she adds, “a reduction in tissue hyaluronic acid (which acts as a lubricant) and the muscle breakdown that comes with age are leaving us with thinner, stiffer vocal folds.

‘Mucus production also decreases and our lung capacity decreases, all of which can change our voice.’

Women’s voices are more sensitive because their vocal folds are more sensitive. With age, however, both sexes may notice that their voices become more monotonous “because the larynx drops, increasing the length of the vocal tract and changing the sound,” says Ruth Epstein.

‘Male and female voices become lower from around age 65. The cartilage in men’s larynx becomes thinner and men’s voices become louder. Women’s voices are only getting deeper.’

Our voices become quieter because we are less able to increase the volume, and vibrations also become more common. To prevent these changes, it is crucial that you stay fit.

“Vocal aging is a biological thing, and not just your actual age,” says Ruth Epstein. ‘People who go to the gym regularly or walk 10,000 steps a day won’t sound that old. It’s about considering the voice as part of the body.’

You should also protect your vocal cords by, for example, avoiding junk food or eating it right before bedtime. “If you eat late and then retire, acid secretions are likely to travel to the back of the throat,” she says. ‘This may cause irritation.’

There are also targeted approaches, she adds. ‘We are currently looking at new treatments that combine laryngeal and breathing-focused exercises to treat the aging voice.’

She says increasing water intake to seven or eight glasses a day and using steam inhalation can help: the steam goes over your vocal cords and lubricates them. ‘I always tell people to join a choir and I encourage older people not to shop online, but to go out and talk to people as chatting helps keep the laryngeal muscles toned.’

People who use their voice at work are no longer at risk. “On the contrary,” says Ruth Epstein. ‘If you use your voice professionally, the muscles become more mobile.

“A teacher may not be as affected by the aging process as someone who is a librarian. It’s use it or lose it.’

REBECCA LEY