Posted with permission

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Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:34:29 +1000
From: Karen Lonsdale <lonsdale.ka@OPTUSNET.COM.AU>
Subject: Strength Training and NFA convention

Dear Lea and List,

Firstly, sorry for not taking part in this discussion until now. Lea, thanks for the encouragement! Having spent 6 months doing virtually nothing but sitting at a computer and playing the flute, I am currently a shining example of why at least some people should do strength training (or resistance training of some description)! Let's just point out from the outset that strength training need not include gym weights....there are lots of good body weight exercises, exercises with resistive bands, fitballs and so on. A lot of flute players enjoy yoga....great, keep it up if it's of benefit (I dislike it, so I don't do it!)

As Lea mentioned, for the past 18 months, I have been doing research into the area of injury prevention and management for flute players. My biggest project to date has been a survey of over 400 flute players internationally on this topic. I have just finished the very tedious data entry (hence my lack of fitness) and there are some pretty interesting findings. I have also recently been involved in a case study using electromyography (a way of measuring electrical activity during muscle contraction). As a result, I will be giving two presentations at the coming NFA convention and would welcome anyone interested in learning more about this subject. I'll be speaking about muscular imbalances (from a professional flute player/educator's point of view...I am not a physical therapist), and also presenting the results of the survey.

A couple of things.....without strength training, I would not be playing flute professionally today (or able to complete six months of data entry!). However, I did go into the strength training programme under the strict guidance of a leading sports physical therapist, and would encourage any player who wants to embark upon a strength training programme to do the same. As Ellen Shapiro pointed out, our muscles at the front of our bodies (chest, shoulders etc) are contracting very strongly during our playing hold. (The EMG study very clearly shows this). If we then go and over-emphasise this further, by doing strength exercises that place more load on the same muscles that contract so strongly during flute playing, without counterbalancing it with other activities that emphasise the opposing muscles, then things could get worse, not better.

If considering a strength training programme, it is strongly advisable to:

1. get a physical therapist to analyse your posture (including playing position) to give advice on appropriate exercises for YOU.
2. get the physical therapist to work in collaboration with your trainer (sometimes trainers are clueless as to a musician's needs). Both the trainer and the physical therapist, should be taking into consideration your full medical history when programming. If your trainer doesn't want to take advice from the physio, then maybe you should get another one!
3. don't assume the strength training programme set for you, should be given to another flute player. Everyone has a different medical history, family history, dislikes/likes in exercise, lifestyle etc etc. It's not so wise to give generic exercise programmes for flute players, because there are considerations for people with injuries, medical conditions (e.g high blood pressure, pregnancy, and so on) and all these things must be factored in before programming. What may be right for you may be very wrong for someone else.
4. Realize that the way you position yourself when you play is very important. Stress management, rest, stretching, instrument choices, non flute playing activities, etc, may all factor into the equation too!

Regarding massage, no-one else said this on list (or in my research), but I am finding as I get older, that deep massage/pressure, tends to stir things up for me and sometimes makes things worse than they were to begin with! I am finding that less massage is working better for me, interestingly enough.

In my survey, of the group who said they were "not currently in pain" (278 out of 409 respondents) at the time of completing the survey, here are some statistics:

• Over 63 per cent play offset G concert flutes;
Over 83 per cent were involved in aerobic activity at least 1 - 2 times per week;
• Over 51 per cent did strength training at least 1 - 2 times per week;
• 92 per cent never smoke;
• 77 per cent drink alcohol either rarely, socially or regularly;
• Over 43 per cent have suffered playing related pain in the past, severe enough
to distract while performing;
• Only 11 per cent said they rarely took practice breaks;
• 42 per cent said they found massage helpful;
• 41 per cent said they found stretching helpful;

The group came from a wide variety of musical, educational, demographic etc backgrounds.

Hope to meet some of you at the NFA convention coming up very soon.

Kind regards,
Karen Lonsdale
www.karenlonsdale.com