陽子 内田 
In the 17th century, the Valsalva maneuver was a tool for voice and resonance.
Today, sports medicine calls it a risk. Which is true?
Most people don’t know the word “Valsalva,”
but at the gym they often do it unconsciously.
Look at the photo below:
the throat closes, the face tightens, and pressure builds in the wrong place.
This is “bad Valsalva.”
The Valsalva Maneuver: From History to Modern Interpretation
The Valsalva maneuver was first described by the Italian anatomist Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666–1723).
Originally, it was a medical technique to study the ear and nasal cavity by holding the breath and creating internal pressure.
Historical Perspective
In the 17th–19th centuries, the Valsalva maneuver was also discussed in the context of voice and resonance.
Singers of the bel canto tradition emphasized the sensation of inner pressure and resonance control. Breath was often described as being “held” or “sustained,” not in the throat but within the whole body.
Modern Medical Perspective
In sports medicine and rehabilitation, however, the Valsalva maneuver is considered risky.
• Breath-holding sharply increases intrathoracic pressure and blood pressure.
• For patients with hypertension or heart disease, this can be dangerous.
• Trainers in Japan and the United States usually instruct: “Do not hold your breath. Exhale during exertion.”
Still, in certain strength sports, athletes intentionally use a brief Valsalva to stabilize the core.
Cultural Differences
• In Japan and the US, “holding your breath” is almost synonymous with “danger.”
• In Southern Europe, especially within the bel canto singing tradition, breath-holding in the throat is avoided.
Instead, singers speak of “lasciare fluire il respiro” (letting the breath flow).
This difference reflects not only medical knowledge but also cultural habits of breathing and voice.
Interestingly, Japanese performing arts have carried this legacy since the Edo period.
Even today, masters describe their breathing as bel canto.
One Italian remarked that Gregorian chant and Noh chanting share the same vocal foundation.
My Perspective
Both interpretations are true in their own context.
• Historically, Valsalva emphasized voice, resonance, and pressure control.
• Modern medicine highlights the risks of blood pressure elevation.
My method, the Long-Life Voice Method, bridges these views. I teach safe micro-breath control: students experience the benefits of pressure and resonance without the dangers of prolonged breath-holding.
Voice and breath are universal. By revisiting Valsalva from both history and modern science, we can create safer and more effective ways to train the body and extend healthy life.
Most people don’t even know the word “Valsalva,” but they do it unconsciously at the gym.
This is why I teach safe micro-breath control in the Long-Life Voice Method —
keeping the benefits without the dangers.
#voice #breathing #Valsalva #health #belcanto