Speaking is like a sport. And, as in any sport, you have to get into shape, stay in shape, practice and fine tune your skills.

1. “The Sport of Speaking” ®
Speaking is like a sport. And, as in any sport, you have to get into
shape, stay in shape, practice and fine tune your skills. The long
season of motivating audiences and constant travel can be physically
and mentally demanding. And just as in sports, when each game is
brand new, so, too, in both speaking and training, you have to
connect with each new audience.
We are all athletes-in-training. We can learn much from professional
athletes and coaches. The sports metaphor can be used to teach
many practical tips for re-energizing your body, hitting your points
home and scoring with your message. For teams to be successful,
there has to be synergy between the team and the coach. Speaking
is a team sport. As a speaker/coach, you have to create a comfort
level for your audience/team to feel safe, to take risks and have a
shared team experience.
As in sports, your body and voice are your most important equipment.
All athletes warm up before playing their sport. Try the following
exercises to keep you focused and in shape.

2. The Ulnar Acupressure point is located in the middle of the palm
of your hand. Take the thumb of your right hand and place it in the
center of the palm of your left hand. Press in with your right thumb
and exhale. Hold for three beats, then release and allow the air to
come into your lungs. Hold for three beats. Press your right thumb
into your left palm again. Exhale • Pause • Inhale. Repeat this three
times.
By pressing in and breathing, youʼre stimulating the pericardium sac.
This is the involuntary muscle surrounding the heart. This
acupressure point is also called the “circulation and sex meridian.”
By the way, the symbolic reason for wearing a wedding band on the
ring finger of your left hand is that this finger is the closest extremity
to the heart. The ulnar point starts at the ring finger, travels up the
arm, goes through the arm pit to your heart.

3. Use this exercise as a reminder to breathe…like tying a string on your
finger. Conscious deep breathing will help you with breath control.
Now that youʼre breathing consciously, try the following vocal warm-
ups to improve your articulation and further enhance your breath
control. While saying these exercises, pay particular attention to
projecting your voice and overly articulating the endings of words. Be
a good sport and make a game of this exercise:
“Lemon liniment”
“Cross crossings cautiously”
“Rubber baby buggy bumpers”
Remember Demosthenes? He was the Greek orator who, as legend
states, put smooth pebbles in his mouth and spoke into the wind, to
improve his vocal range and articulation.
Instead of using pebbles, try this exercise with a pencil. Take a pencil
and hold it horizontally, with your thumbs and forefingers at each end.
Place it in your mouth, like a horseʼs bit. Slowly, with exaggerated
volume and awareness, repeat the articulation exercises.
Remove the pencil and repeat the exercises again. Does your mouth
feel more limber? Like using ankle weights, when you remove them
you feel as if you can fly. This warm-up will increase your breathing

4. awareness, work the muscles around your mouth, and help you
improve articulation and projection.
Most studies say it takes about three weeks (21 days) to develop a
habit. Practice, drill and rehearse. Focus on doing these exercises
so you may go into the zone instantly.
As the great football coach, Vince Lombardi said, “Practice does not
make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” As in any sport, keep
your eye on the ball, breathe, bend your knees, and follow through.
Have fun with “The Sport of Speaking ”®.
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