Why Does Fitness Matter for Musicians? Building Focus, Confidence, & Reducing Stress
How can musicians manage stress, boost energy, & perform with confidence?
Jeremy Grant, from Backstage Wellness, weighs in:
Jeremy Grant is a dedicated health coach, personal trainer, musician, and founder of Backstage Wellness. With an MSc in Health Promotion and over three decades as a professional musician, he combines expertise in wellness and performance to help musicians and high-achieving professionals reach their peak potential. Through Backstage Wellness, he delivers tailored coaching programs that address physical activity, stress management, nutrition, sleep optimization, and performance strategies. His passion lies in creating personalized wellness solutions based on each client's unique goals, empowering them to take control of their health and perform their best, both on and off stage.
1) Physical and Mental Benefits of Exercise for Musicians: How can fitness routines boost a musician's focus, reduce performance anxiety, and improve overall well-being?
Creating a consistent fitness routine does something magical for musicians - it builds structure and self-discipline that transfers directly to our music and overall well-being. In today's distraction-heavy world, this structure becomes our anchor, not something rigid, but actually the foundation we need while juggling all the demands of being a professional musician!
You know what's really cool? When we commit to showing up for ourselves every day, our brains develop this incredible focus muscle that carries into our performances. Plus, getting exercise, sleep, eating well, and doing breathing exercise or meditation, gives us a sustainable energy boost, and lowers our baseline stress and anxiety, that we can then put into our playing!
Does this mean performance nerves magically disappear? No way! But here's the thing - by taking control of our physical wellbeing and preparation, I call it “controlling the controllables, we can start to transform that nervous energy into something that enhances rather than hinders our performance. I absolutely love helping musicians make this connection and watching them transfer that energy to their performance!
2) Stress Management Techniques for Musicians: What are some effective and practical stress reduction strategies tailored for the unique pressures of a musician's life, such as performance anxiety and irregular schedules?
Let's start with the irregular schedule challenge - there's no easy answer here except "try your best." Building on the fitness routine idea we discussed earlier, having something consistent you can fall back on helps your body and brain stay grounded when everything else feels chaotic. That routine becomes your anchor in the storm of a musician's unpredictable life.
For stress management and performance anxiety, it's all about experimenting until you find healthy strategies that work for you. Deep breathing exercises have been a game-changer for me personally. Box breathing is my daily go-to because it's equipment-free and can be done anywhere! Simply breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold empty for 4 seconds. Complete as many cycles as needed. Another effective technique is inhaling for 4 seconds, pausing briefly, then exhaling for 5+ seconds. These create a rhythm that signals your brain it's safe to relax, plus they give your mind something specific to focus on besides anxiety.
Movement is another powerful stress-buster! This doesn't have to be complicated - stretch, do some yoga, take a walk, or simply put on your favorite song and have a quick dance break. We often store tension physically, and movement helps release that built-up stress while clearing mental clutter at the same time.
One final strategy I'm still working on myself: taking regular breaks from news and social media. When I'm glued to my phone, I accomplish nothing (creating more stress), and scrolling often leads me down the dangerous path of comparing my career, skills, or success to other people. You know how it goes - suddenly you're convinced everyone else has better gigs, more followers, or fancier equipment! This comparison trap is especially toxic for artists because it diminishes the unique value of what we create. When I'm "doom-scrolling," I'm not only stealing time from activities that actually boost my wellbeing, I'm also undermining my confidence when I need it most. Creating boundaries around media consumption might be challenging at first, but it creates space for the stress-relief practices that truly work - and protects your creative mindset in the process.
3) Creating a Sustainable Lifestyle for Musicians: Beyond specific techniques, what lifestyle adjustments (sleep, nutrition, etc.) can musicians make to foster better stress management and overall well-being in their demanding careers?
Honestly, I think most of us can benefit from getting back to health basics - quality sleep, stress management, regular movement, and good nutrition. These fundamentals are interconnected, and when one area slides, everything else tends to follow! The good news? This works both ways. When we show up for ourselves and make consistent efforts (knowing perfection isn't realistic), positive changes create momentum.
I know this may sound like a simple answer to this sneaky and complex question, but this is exactly why I started Backstage Wellness. What works for one musician may not work for another - and sometimes what works for us today doesn't even work for us tomorrow! Our lives as musicians come with unique challenges that can't always be addressed with one-size-fits-all solutions. That's why I'm passionate about helping musicians develop personalized strategies that adapt to their specific circumstances and evolving needs.
Join Coffee & Conversations on May 23rd to ask more of your questions about how to stay healthy while working in the music industry! We can’t wait to chat more with Jeremy about how we can all make are lives a little more healthful.