The Rock Band Workout: Drumming for Fitness and Physical Health

He weighed nearly 500 pounds. Sitting nervously in his doctor’s office in 2010 at only 22 years old, a man we’ll call Marc Schwartz listened to his doctor attentively after having his measurements and vitals taken, “If you don’t lose weight, you won’t live to see your 24th birthday.” Marc shifted uncomfortably on the exam table as his fingers fidgeted. Marc’s weight concerns were never conveyed to him with the gravity with which he was now faced. But it immediately switched on a light bulb—more like a lightning bolt. He had habitually eaten takeout food and drank sugar-filled sodas and soft drinks ever since he was a child and had never exercised. Suddenly he realized he needed to change—very quickly.

So Marc did what any other 490-pound, life-loving video gamer would do in his weathered and fatigued shoes: he started playing drums on the Playstation 3 game, Rock Band, for two hours every day. Of course he realized Rock Band alone wouldn’t accomplish the massive task ahead of him. He also began exercising two days per week and eating healthier. Six months passed and the new drumming regimen shed nearly 100 pounds from his clinically obese frame. The weight continued to come off, losing him approximately 120 pounds in nine months. Then about 224 pounds in 17 months. Flash forward to 2016, Marc was thrilled to not only be alive, but to have been qualified as a fitness instructor to help obese people lose weight—thanks in large part to playing drums.

Health Benefits of Playing Drums

How does playing drums improve your physical health like it did for Marc? On the surface, the answer seems obvious. Any form of intense movement, especially for prolonged periods of time, can be a form of exercise. It may not be surprising to learn then that drumming boosts cardiovascular health and muscle strength, improves coordination and motor skills, and can even elevate your immune system. These advantages extend to people of diverse age groups and fitness levels. Drumming is an unconventional avenue for physical health that has gained recognition in recent years and continues to grow in popularity.

Cardiovascular Fitness

When you start drumming, you'll quickly realize that it's not just about hitting drums; it's about maintaining a steady rhythm. This rhythm requires coordination between your hands and feet, which translates into an increased heart rate and calorie burning. Engaging in a drumming session can be quite the workout for your cardiovascular system. According to an article by Drum! Magazine, an hour of playing drums burns 600 calories on average and up to 1,000 calories in a live performance. Considering the recommended number of calories for a person to consume in one day is 2,000 for a woman and 2,500 for a man, 1,000 calories burned in a performance could be half of your daily caloric intake! That’s some serious exercise. Over time, you'll find that your endurance and stamina improve, much like the benefits you'd get from a cardio workout.

Muscle Strength

Drumming isn't all about the arms and hands. It engages your entire upper body, particularly your core muscles. Slight movements in your weight from your left foot to your right foot and vice versa, sometimes using both feet at once, while extending your arms requires balance that engages your core. The repetitive motion of drumming helps strengthen these muscle groups, leading to improved muscle tone and greater overall strength. Moreover, drumming enhances hand-eye coordination, as you sync your strikes with the rhythm, and it can even improve your fine motor skills.

Conclusion

As you can see from Marc Schwartz’s story, the benefits are more than just theoretical. Drumming has a real-life impact on your health and fitness, and there are real-life success stories to go along with it. We haven’t even talked about the fact that drumming is WAY more fun than going to the gym or running on a treadmill (in my humble opinion). You don’t need to be an expert musician or even know how to play drums at all to experience some of the physical health benefits. Just buy yourself a starter drum kit or an electronic drum kit and start hitting stuff! Make your own beat. Drums are art, which means you don’t need to play by any rules. Like any form of physical activity, just have fun with it.