Warming up to my topic

Here in NYC, the temperatures have started creeping up a little, bringing a welcome end to the weeks-long cold snap during which the temperature rarely exceeded freezing and frequently dipped (with wind chills) into the teens.  As Mother Nature warms up in preparation for spring, I thought it would be an appropriate time to discuss how we too can warm ourselves up. . .for exercise and for singing, that is.

In the upcoming series of blog posts, I will divulge my views on the subject of warming up—some of it unorthodox—which evolved over many years of personal experience in the gym and in the practice room.

Some of the questions I will explore here: Why warm up?  When is it necessary?  What can I do to warm up effectively?  Is stretching helpful?  What can I do to warm up for an audition or performance?  How long should my warm-up last?  Are there any warm-up practices best avoided?

I'd love to hear from my readers about the warm-up regimens you have come to rely on and welcome any questions you may have on the current topic.  I invite you to post any of this as a comment to this posting.