Lax Vox Exercise
Lax Vox Voice Therapy Exercise
Patient Information
Speech and Language Therapy Department
- Author ID: ZM
- Leaflet Ref: SL 020
- Version: 1
- Leaflet title: Lax Vox Voice Therapy Exercise
- Date Produced: March 2026
- Expiry Date: March 2028
How will the Lax Vox exercise help my voice?
- Lax Vox exercises help to build the air pressure below the vocal cords.
- This helps the vocal cords come together in a relaxed way with less muscular effort.
- The pressure created by blowing bubbles and sounds in the water creates more space in the pharynx (throat) and lowers the larynx (voice box).
This is a progressive exercise. It is important to work through each step at a time
A few rules…
- These exercises should be performed whilst sitting in an upright position with your shoulders relaxed.
- Put one end of the straw between your tongue and your top teeth.
- Make a good seal around the straw with your lips.
- Put the end of the straw into a glass of water (2-3 cm deep).
- Start the task by breathing out through your mouth. Do not take a breath first.
- During the exercise, breathe in through your nose.
- Repeat each step 5 times.
- Speak to your Speech and Language Therapist for advice regarding how often to practice or if you are unsure about anything in this leaflet.
Step one:
Without putting the straw into the glass, blow down the straw. Place your hand below the straw and feel for the air being released.
Step two:
Now put the straw into the glass. Without taking a breath, blow a steady stream of bubbles.
Step three:
Prolong ‘oo’ (as in food).
Step four:
Repeat ‘oo’ ‘oo’ ‘oo’ ‘oo’.
Step five:
Repeat ‘oo’ ‘oo’ ‘oo’ ‘oo’. On each repetition, gradually increase the volume.
Step six:
Whilst prolonging the sound ‘oo’, glide from a high pitch to a low pitch.
Step seven:
Whilst prolonging the sound ‘oo’, glide from a low pitch to a high pitch, and back to a low pitch.
Feel for…
- Vibration around the lips and mouth.
- Low abdominal movement.
Developing the task further:
- Increasing the depth of the water and using a narrower straw will make each of these steps harder.
- After the above steps have been achieved, repeat the steps without the straw. We aim to maintain the same feeling in the throat muscles.
- The final step includes transferring these skills into speech. We aim to speak using the same muscular pattern and feelings.
Useful links:
Below are links for the types of straw suitable for Lax Vox.
This exercise would work best with a straight ‘smoothie’ straw (or Lax Vox tube) which has an inner diameter of 10-12 mm.
Either of the links below can be chosen; there are two included in case one of the straws is out of stock.