Can You Lose Weight by Drumming?

It may not seem like it, but drumming provides a great cardio workout. In fact, gyms and fitness clubs throughout the country are starting to see a trend in offering drumming exercise classes. When watching drummers, we first notice that the entire body is in motion and then we notice the sweat. According to what they used to teach in high school gym classes, sweat results from getting that heart rate up, up, up! And, when that happens consistently, the person is likely to lose weight. But, how exactly does one lose weight by drumming?

Just like any other exercise, it will take more than a casual relationship with a djembe or an evening of Rock Band to benefit from the cardiovascular exercise of drumming. The Universities of Gloucestershire and Chichester discovered some inspirational statistics a few years ago, yet, most drummers don't perform long or hard enough to lose weight. The Universities did a study comparing the a professional rock drummer and a premier league footballer. They found that the drummer’s heart rate got up to 190 beats per minute, averaging 140-150 beats per minute over 90 minutes of playing. This average is comparable to the heart rate of a professional footballer during a game.

This information is helpful when we think about how to lose weight by drumming, but we also need to consider the way a professional rock drummer plays. To keep up that sort of heart rate, a drummer would have to work pretty hard for a full 90 minutes. That is not typical for most people who play the drums, so if a person wants to create an exercise regimen around drumming, the person needs to drum more often with more intensity and for longer periods of time. That is where many of the drumming fitness programs come in, as they help guide people and keep the motivation going, in order to benefit from the calorie buring and even the motivation that music and drumming can bring into a workout.

Drumming is great exercise and will also help to improve drumming habits and possibly change technique in astounding ways. This exercise requires commitment, just like any wellness or fitness program, and the results can be astounding for both the body, as well as drumming skills and technique. The exercise will need to use the whole body, not just the arms or feet, and it will require building up endurance and strength over time. A commitment to drumming increases more than just the beat of a song, its all-around goodness for the body, mind and even the soul.