ALL THINGS AIRWAY course!, WALK FOR TALK 2025, Fitness Instructors+Voice Research, and PYV!
Enjoy some educational & inspiring blog reading & be sure to roll your shoulders & focus on allowing full-body breathing as you do! Make it a GREAT day. YOU are worthy and YOU (and YOUR VOICE) are BEAUTIFUL. #DONTFORGETIT 
ALL THINGS AIRWAY Course...
Hey everyone!!
SEE VIDEO ABOVE!!!
I am incredibly EXCITED to tell you that my ALL THINGS AIRWAY virtual course is COMPLETE & now available on the VOXFIT®️ website… you can also find it via the link in my bio.
I’ve put a ton of hours of WORK & LOVE into developing this course & truly believe it is incredibly comprehensive, fully backed & cited by a TON of research, & extremely clear to assist you in optimal learning. Just like voice, head/neck cancer, & heath/fitness, I’m extremely passionate about AIRWAY as well.
Within this 36 lesson self-study course including 6 hours of content, you will learn ALL THINGS AIRWAY including: airway conditions in general, normal breathing function, the role of the larynx, ILO, EILO, BPD, unique airway-related conditions (including laryngeal & subglottic stenosis, sarcoidosis & amyloidosis, & laryngeal MMP), the importance of videostroboscopy & biofeedback in working with these patients, lower airway obstructions in general, asthma, EIB, the value of Buteyko techniques, misdiagnosing upper airway conditions for asthma, laryngeal edema, angioedema, anaphylaxis, other ILO/EILO mimics, COPD, bronchiectasis, CHS, PGI, PIPI, extrathoracic obstructions, interesting airway-related case studies, mucus, Reinke's edema, granulomas, papillomas, laryngeal cancer, VF atrophy, VF mobility impairments, globus sensation, the POWER of your mission as an SLP, the power of exams for teaching & education, & reminders that YOU make a difference in your work & otherwise…!
After completing this course you will receive a certificate & can submit 6 hours to ASHA as personal development hours (PDHs)
I’m REALLY looking forward to providing this course to all those who are interested in expanding their knowledge & understanding of ALL THINGS AIRWAY.
FOR TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY at 11:59pm PST, you can get the course for 10% off using code EARLYBIRD.
ENJOY THE WEEK & as always, THANK YOU for being a part of the VOXFIT®️ community! Andddd don’t forget to PRIORITIZE YOUR VOICE!!
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#voxfit #course #allthingsairway #airway #upperairway #research #passion #poweredbypassionandpurpose #occupationalvoiceuser #speechpathology #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #ilo #eilo #breathingpatterndisorder #asthma #buteyko #alwayskeeplearning #growthmindset
WALK FOR TALK 2025...
This past weekend (Saturday October 18th), we had SO much fun at our local Walk for Talk here in Scottsdale, AZ! Such a GREAT group of support group members, medical professionals, family, friends, and PETS!…. Esther (our leader) started us off with an inspiring speech and got to WALKIN for one hour! Check out some pictures and videos from our walk!!! We had such a wonderful morning and event and succeeded in our MISSION of spreading awareness for laryngeal dystonia/spasmodic dysphonia and other voice-related conditions!!
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I’m so GRATEFUL to be a part of our Valley of the Sun group and Dysphonia International!!
Final totals are not yet in from the (WORLDWIDE) walk, but we (Dysphonia International) have surpassed our $100,000 goal and are already well past it (!!!)…you can still donate too. All donations are matched as well..and ALL go to fund research for a CURE for laryngeal dystonia/spasmodic dysphonia (and related voice conditions).
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BECAUSE OF THE FUNDS RAISED SINCE WALK FOR TALK STARTED IN 2020, OVER A MILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBURED TO SUPPORT RESEARCH IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS!
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"Walk for Talk is not only about unifying people living with spasmodic dysphonia and related voice conditions but also the larger community that supports them, including family, friends, healthcare professionals, researchers, students, neighbors, co-workers, and pets, in a fun and creative way. This event is about empowering people to share the challenges of living with a voice disorder to educate and raise awareness. This event is about funding research to find answers for better treatments and a greater understanding of these complex voice disorders. This event is about hope for the future because every step gets us closer to a cure. And this event couldn't be a success without you! We thank YOU for your participation and support!" (Dysphonia International)
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#voxfit #dysphoniainternational #laryngealdystonia #spasmodicdysphonia #walkfortalk #supportgroup #fundraiser #poweredbypassion #voice #voicedisorders #speechpathology #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #laryngology #makeadifference #walkforacure #scottsdale
FITNESS INSTRUCTORS+VOICE Research
Fitness instructors could be considered a unique type of professional voice user, in that as well as instruction, there is a performance aspect to their work, as they seek to both teach and entertain, their clientele (Reynolds et al, 2025).
Two new research studies by the Reynolds et al. group focus on one of my favorite occupational voice user populations, fitness professionals.
SWIPE TO READ MORE!!
A survey they conducted in Feb 2025 found that sporting, fitness, & wellness leaders experience a high rate of voice & throat symptoms, yet display relatively low levels of concern about their voices in the workplace. They found that a high percentage of respondents reported they were not concerned about their voice, but 8% of respondents reported experiencing a change in their voice, such as changes in pitch or vocal quality.
In a survey-related study I published in 2020, the data displayed overwhelming agreement among fitpros that voice has a significant impact on every class (100% of respondents), with ~92% reporting they felt a vocal training would be beneficial for their work in the fitness industry (& 85% stating they would be interested in attending such a training).
In the Reynolds study, voice concerns were more likely to be noted in respondents who had participated in voice education (hence, EDUCATION & AWARENESS improve as a result of the POWER of this education!).
However, in my study the prevalence of self-reported voice difficulty was much higher than the 8% mentioned above, as ~70% of all respondents stated they have experienced hoarseness at some point related to their jobs instructing fitness classes, AND more than 51% of THESE individuals have never been trained on how to use their voice for fitness-related instruction. Additionally, ~60% of respondents endorsed the experience of vocal strain & vocal effort during &/or after instructing classes (again, much higher than 8%).
The Reynolds group also mentioned that further investigation is needed to explore methods for altering or supplementing vocal delivery in fitness instruction to increase VOCOERGONOMICS (LOVE that word!!) & decrease the risk of vocal damage within this population. I fully agree with that & this is why I also created VOXFIT®!!
In Oct 2025, Reynolds et al. completed another study on VOICE as a marker of PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY, especially in the context of the occupational voice use of fitness professionals. “
“Fitness instructors are professional voice users of the ‘instructor type’ & are required to use their voices to coach, motivate, & acknowledge the clientele while leading their classes or sessions…They are expected to recruit & retain clients to their sessions, & in order to do so, CREATE THEMSELVES AS A BRAND within the marketplace”. TRUTH.
It is known that fitpros are at increased risk of dysphonia, & the aforementioned Reynolds et al. study did display that few of them report concerns about this occupational risk factor (however, my study differed quite a bit with respect to this factor).
This second study sought to explore the phenomenology of occupational voice use in in fitpros via semi-structured interviews to explore the thoughts, attitudes, & beliefs towards occupational voice use in 7 individuals with thematic-related analysis completed afterwards.
As expected, fitpros “relied on their voices in numerous ways: to coach their clients, but also to recruit & retain them, to motivate them, & to encourage them on their fitness journeys”. YES!
Voice was considered to be an integral part of the WORK IDENTITY of fitpros, which certainly is in agreement with my first study as mentioned above. There was a strong focus on projection of voice, use of voice in a variety of instructing scenarios, & a priority of clarity/being understood by clients in their classes.
My second study (with @la_mikhail_) focused on educating these occupational voice users on a variety of concepts including healthy projection, optimal clarity/voice placement, & development of the most optimal fitpro voice protocol (to ensure the instructors would have tools to reduce voice-related symptoms & to improve vocal performance & success while instructing).
CHEERS to new research, & especially on occupational voice users! The more we know, the better we can HELP!
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#voxfit #fitpro #research #fitness #voice #fitnessinstructor #occupationalvoiceuser #vocalhealth #vocalefficiency #vocaldynamics #projection #clarity #awareness #poweredbypassion #voicedisorders #speechpathology #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #laryngology #voicesfittoinspire
PYV: Anddd of course, always REMEMBER to PRIORITIZE YOUR VOICE! ...
How are YOU prioritizing your voice today? And everyday? As an OCCUPATIONAL VOICE USER, it SHOULD be one of your top priorities!
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What do you need to know to keep your voice healthy? You should understand how the voice works, how to protect and care for your voice, and how to use your voice and entire vocal mechanism in the most efficient, effective, and dynamic ways possible.
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I’m super PASSIONATE about this population of voice users (I’m one and most of you are too!), and am HERE TO HELP! Reach out with any questions, concerns, or if you’d like to work together. Email me at [email protected] or DM me on @voxfit_ ...
#prioritizeyourvoice
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Sara Davis, M.A. CCC-SLP
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