The musician’s body is their instrument, one that must work at top performance level, just like a trumpet or a violin. As is the case with any musical instrument, a musician must practice working their body properly, i.e. exercise their musculoskeletal system on a daily basis. Otherwise, sooner or later there will be pain, the main cause of which is usually overload of the musculoskeletal system. The latter is directly related to the human spine, which is like a conductor in front of a symphony orchestra, with several organs (lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, etc.), organ systems, as well as the joints of the musculoskeletal system and the soft tissue (skeletal muscles, tendons and ligaments, etc.) acting as instrumentalists. The spine protects the back and neck region of the central nervous system, from which the nerves innervate and control the functioning of various organs and organ systems. If overload (e.g. forced posture) causes tension in the spine, disturbing the transmission mechanisms of the nerves in the human torso, limbs and organ systems, the sensory excitation mechanisms of the nervous system are unable to perform their functions. This may be one of the causes of pathology of various organs and organ systems and the occurrence of overload injuries in the musculoskeletal system. In everyday practice, special workouts for the back, neck, shoulder and gluteal regions, as well as of abdominal muscles, aimed at preventing overload injuries are often underestimated. In many case, regular exercise of the body, including muscle training (such as yoga and Pilates exercises), from a young age prevents later problems in organ systems and the musculoskeletal system. Thus, the professionalism of a musician can also be judged by how they perceive—and maintain—their body as an instrument. GUNNAR MÄNNIK Kirjastus: Ühinenud Ajakirjad OÜ,
2025, Hobid ja vaba aeg, Uued Hakkan lugema