Ask any guitarist and they’ll tell you, playing the guitar can be a full workout for both the mind and body. Guitarists of all levels are constantly coordinating their wrists, hands, fingers, and arms to create the music they make, and often holding positions that can put strain on their bodies. On top of that, playing the guitar requires mental clarity, presence, and plenty of energy and stamina.
Without proper care, guitar players can put serious wear and tear on their bodies leading to injuries like tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and back, shoulder, and leg pain. And burnout, lack of motivation, and stress can be symptoms of neglected mental health. Fortunately, there are a number of techniques, exercises, and mental practitioners to strengthen both the body and the mind of a guitarist.
In this guide, we’ll cover the many ways you can stay physically and mentally fit as a guitar player. From injury prevention strategies to exercises for fitness and mental resilience, these tips will help you stay healthy and inspired on your musical journey.
Technique Tips
The first step towards ensuring health and physical fitness as a guitarist is to play using the correct technique and posture. It can be easy to lose focus on how you are sitting and holding the guitar, especially when you're deep in the creative flow, but improper positioning and posture can cause unnecessary stress on muscles and tendons. And what might start out as minor cramping in the fingers, arms, and other parts of the body could eventually lead to more serious injuries, such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, that could impact your playing and overall health over time.
When it comes to proper posture as a guitarist, the goal is to minimize strain. When playing in a seated position, you’ll want to keep your back straight and relaxed, with your shoulders back and down. You’ll always want to make sure you’re in a chair that allows you to keep both feet on the ground. The guitar should rest comfortably on your thigh and the neck of the guitar should be angled slightly upward. This will minimize strain on hands and wrists. Plus it enhances reach and finger dexterity, and encourages efficient technique.
If you’re playing the guitar standing, don’t stress out about standing perfectly straight at all times. Instead, make sure your guitar strap is adjusted so the guitar is just around waist level. Even though it might look a bit more punk rock, avoid letting your guitar hang too low as this can strain your wrist and forearm.
How you position your hands and fingers along the frets is also key towards preventing injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Make sure to keep the wrist of your fretting hand as straight as possible and maintain a loose and relaxed grip on the neck. You also want to keep your strumming hand relaxed, allowing for fluid movement along the strings.
Stretches and Exercises
Another important way to maintain health and fitness as a guitarist is to build strength and flexibility. Proper exercises and stretches that target common areas of strain for guitarists can help prevent fatigue, pain, and injury, allowing you to play more comfortably for much longer periods of time.
Hand and wrist exercises can go a long way towards preventing tendonitis and other overuse injuries. You can incorporate brief finger, wrist flexor, and thumb stretches into your warmup routines to loosen joints and release tension in the muscles you use most while playing.
Your hands are not the only body parts working hard while you play. Your arms and shoulders are also under stress, so adding focused stretches to your warmup can release tension in these areas as well. Shoulder rolls and arm across chest stretches can make a huge impact on your body, especially for those longer sessions like a practice or gig.
Sitting or standing for long periods of time can also cause excessive strain on your back and legs. To stay limber, try seated forward bends, back twists, and butterfly stretches before your next show or lengthy practice session. Your body will thank you.
Mindfulness and Mental Health
There’s little doubt that, in almost all areas of life, mental well-being is just as crucial as physical well-being. This is absolutely true when it comes to making music and playing the guitar. Along with physical exercises, guitarists should carve out equal amounts of time for strengthening their mental health. Developing mental resilience and practicing mindfulness can help you stay focused, reduce stress, and enjoy your musical journey more fully.
Mindfulness is all about staying in the here and now. This is a lot easier said than done, as it’s natural to ruminate about the past or feel anxious about the future. But by staying present, particularly when playing your guitar, you will become more attuned to the music you are creating, opening new doors to your playing while enhancing your capabilities. Mindful warmups such as focused breathing, mental body scans, and guided meditation can be easily incorporated into your physical warmups and exercises, allowing yourself to clear and calm your mind and catch any early signs of strain or discomfort.
And let’s be real, while there may be few things that bring you as much joy as playing your guitar, making music is still a very mentally demanding activity. Managing stress levels, staying focused and positive, and overcoming frustration and mistakes are skills that need to be honed alongside learning scales and chord shapes. Setting small, achievable goals as a guitarist can keep you motivated and in a positive frame of mind as you celebrate small win after win. Practicing radical self acceptance and gratitude can remind you why you picked up a guitar in the first place. No matter what level of player you are, take time to appreciate your musical progress and the pure joy and privilege of playing guitar.
Take Breaks
It’s easy to lose track of time when making music, but playing for long stretches without taking breaks is one of the most common causes of injury for guitarists. Incorporating rest and regular breaks is essential for guitarists to prevent strain, boost creativity, and improve their performance over time.
The next time you practice, be thoughtful about dividing your time into focused sessions. Instead of playing in one long session, use the timer on your phone to break up your playing into smaller chunks, such as 30 minute intervals. This will allow you time to warm up, play and create, and take the necessary breaks your body needs. During those breaks you can stretch, move your body, practice mindfulness, or just simply rest. Your body and mind will be that much stronger when you return to your guitar, leading to a potentially longer and more productive session than if you did it all in one marathon block of time.
Ergonomic Accessories
Sometimes, a simple accessory can go a long way towards maintaining your health and physical comfort as a guitarist. For acoustic and classical guitarists who are most commonly seated, ergonomically designed chairs can help immensely with posture and comfort. Guitar stands and footrests can also be used to take the strain off your body, allowing for improved playability and comfort. Also, seated guitarists can utilize guitar cushions and guitar rests that attach to the base or side of their guitar. These cushions can raise the guitar to a comfortable height and angle, improving posture and reducing strain on the wrists and lower back.
For guitarists who typically play standing, investing in a quality adjustable guitar strap is important. A padded, adjustable strap allows players to position the guitar at an ideal height while standing, avoiding excessive strain on the shoulder and back. Look for straps with wide, padded shoulder support to distribute the guitar’s weight evenly, reducing the risk of neck and shoulder pain.
Play and Stay Strong
As guitarists, we know how important and integral our instrument is to our lives. That’s why we cannot overestimate the importance of maintaining our physical and mental health. Using proper technique, incorporating stretching and exercise, practicing mindfulness, taking necessary breaks, and even finding the right accessories can all play a role in ensuring we stay strong. With these practices, you’ll not only become a better player but also set yourself up for a lifetime of music-making.
●●●Written by Jesse Stanford, Company Cue
