Physical fitness?

Jeremy Bender

Platinum Member
Trying to stay strong and stay healthy is a challenge the older we get. The back and joints can really be an issue for some.
Personally, I swim a few days a week (if I can get to a pool) and have been doing moderate stretching and cardio (elliptical machine) workouts for 20-30 mins a few times a week.

Since we play such a physical instrument, do any of you folks have any exercise tips for drummers?
 
I've been running daily for over 25 years, from 6-12 miles. I would die from depression without my daily run. But generally 30 minutes of cardio 4 times a week is a good idea. Anything is great. Just build up stamina. Plus imagine yourself 20-30 pounds lighter. I was amazed at how better I felt without my bones and joints having to carry around that extra weight. Just do any exercise. That's more than 90% of the population who are doing nothing. Then they go to conventional medical doctors when they are ill, get drugs, etc. It's just a slippery slope. Personal responsibility is the key. Good luck and keep at it.
 
I appear to have a "thing" about posture. People comment on my posture a lot more than on my drumming (not entirely sure how I feel about that!). As many people on here probably know, I ride horses and my main interest is dressage, albeit at a lowish level, which requires core strength and considerably more aerobic fitness than you might expect if you've never sat on a horse. Whenever and wherever I sit down, I have the ear-shoulder-hip alignment (when riding, add in "heel") with my upper body as tall as my physiology will permit without straining. It's such an ingrained habit I don't even know I'm doing it.

I believe it contributes to my efficiency as a drummer, because any tension is limited to my core, leaving my limbs relaxed and able to move easily, and I never feel physically tired or uncomfortable even when I've been playing for several hours.

That makes me sound really up myself, but I'm not, honest!
 
agreed w/ larryz on this...just do some exercise / show up. i swear half the battle is food. as i get older, it is all about a good energy level all day, so i never eat fast food, soda, bread and keep caffeine out hours before a gig. i am also careful to never workout hard before any gig.
 
I am 56. I was told by my Doc that I had to exercise more. I was 20 LBS overweight and I had slightly high cholesterol and blood pressure. I was a candidate for diabetes and a heart attack in the future. He recommended exercise and diet changes.

I hate to exercise so I thought for a while about what I should do.
I bought a Roland V-Drums Lite kit. It has built in pedals that can be programed for double bass. I began to work out on the kit each night. I played the pedals as fast and hard as I could and I did the same with my arms and hands on the electronic drum pads. I also made some minor changes to my diet such as carrots instead of potato chips and no eggs etc.
It worked! Within 3 months I lost 5 pounds and I am still slowly losing weight. My cholesterol and my blood pressure dropped substantially to very safe normal levels. I feel much better.
I wound up buying a set of double pedals for my acoustic kit too. I am getting into doubles playing and I really like it.
I use thrones that have backrest. My back health has also improved from the doubles playing. I have very little back pain now because the exercise keeps me toned and loose.
 
In my young Army days I was nearly unstoppable. First time I left the Army I got huge lifting weights. Went back in and tried SFAS (special forces selection) - learned it was better to be an all around fitness guy. Got super lean and cut. I was tracking for many years until honestly after my first child was born. Just seems harder to get back on the horse and return to where I was. I would like to drop at least 10lbs. At anywhere from 150-155 at my size I can lift plenty of weights and run no problem.

My usual favorite run was a 7 mile run around a lake which I could do in an hour. I agree with others on here; my usual run routine left me feeling so much better. My old workout routine consisted of 20 mins of weights, 20-30 mins of cardio and finished off with a swim. Man do I miss those days!
 
What works for me: Diet, Running, & Yoga. (I'm 44)

Running:
I run roughly 20-30 miles per week. Started when I was 39, "running" 1 mile in TWENTY minutes.

Diet:
Gave up soda, and anything that wasn't Water, Juice, or Beer.
Most crappy carbs, dairy, junk food, and 90% of the meats that I ate...
Generally follow Dr. Furhrman's "Eat to Live"...

Yoga:
Started this 3 years ago. Wish I would have discovered it years earlier.


Most of these I started about 60lbs ago too. :)

I believe all 3 of these help in different ways, and doubt I could play my kit for several hours at a time without them.

Yikes. That was too much preaching.
 
I'd pretty much rather die than run. I ride a bike, hike, and generally stay active, but I don't have a specific exercise routine. I like yoga, but I keep injuring myself doing it. I have to be very careful - my back and joints are easily injured. But my weight, cholesterol, and BP are just fine, and I'm 49. My diet is "don't eat too much."

I can play drums for an intense 5 hour evening with no ill effects, so I call it good.
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. I've been doing mainly stretching and cardio-style exercise (swimming or elliptical machine) 2-3 times a week for a couple of years now and feel much better for it. Just wish I had never quit 20 years ago when kids and career had to come first.

Diet and proper rest are the other demons in my life that have to be managed as best as possible.
 
I walk a lot, do yoga regularly and do cardio occasionally when I find time in the evening and am not too knackered.

I eat quite healthy (and regularly!) and managed to lose almost 4 stone by exercising regularly and following a healthy diet over the past years. I've still got a little bit too much fat on my bones, but I'm fitter and healthier than a lot of people that are slimmer than me. Drumming black metal is a great exercise as well, doing live gigs and being in the rehearsal studio at least once a week.
 
I gave up junk food in my mid-20's and began exercising every day or close to it. I'm turning 35 soon.
My diet puts most health-food junkies to shame and taste buds reject anything too sweet.

Exercise bike, boxing, karate, yoga, stretching are all things that I have been stuck on doing. I ran 4-8 miles a day for several years but the impact on my knees and back wasn't working out.
 
Physical fitness is a big part of my life. I run 4 days a week, averaging out to about 20 miles per week. Exercise wasn't a part of my life until last year, when I spent 9 months dropping 75 pounds.

When I met my wife, I weighed 140 pounds soaking wet. 4 years later I was 230 in my birthday suit. I had completely let myself go. Between marriage and starting a family, I just completely forgot to take care of myself. After waking up one day and not being able to fit into even my biggest clothes, I finally decided enough as enough. It was hard as hell at first, but sure enough the weight started to fall off.

This was me in February of 2012 at around 230 pounds.

feb2012230.jpg


And later in November, down 75 pounds to a healthy and happy 155.

notfat1.jpg


Still hard to believe I lost all the weight. Even harder to believe I let myself somehow get there in the first place.
 
I drift around 270 lbs most of the time, but I've hit 315 when I let myself go. For the most part, my two year old daughter gives me a reason to stay active. I love food of any kind - I spend a lot of my free time behind a grill, and while I am far from skinny, there are plenty of gents out there much bigger than me, and much less healthy. Why would I want to live to be 90 years old, if I couldn't enjoy the time I'm here? I want to live long enough to raise my kid(s), play some drums, eat plenty of good food. If I can manage that, I'll die happy, even if I go early at 50.
 
As the music player we all intend to sit for hours as we practice or doing any concert. In the way we make our body heavy as we intake lots but the workouts are nil. With age this heaviness in the body brings down the energy within us and we intend to reduce the time for the music. So as other members have rightly said that they do lot of walking & running which brings down the heaviness of the body it gives you lot of energy to do the drumming.
 
I smoked, drank alot and took drugs in my teens and early 20's and at a point I felt so horrible (mentally and physically) that I had to try something.

I quit all the bad stuff, got back into the gym, dropped carbs until I lost about 10kg (I wasn't too overweight but I looked like death) and now I am normal weight and looking better. I feel a bit fragile still though, I can't make myself lift really heavy weights because I sense that I'm doing more harm than good. Same with running, my joints don't like it and I always felt like I had a weak heart.

So moderation suits me.

I think if you put in a few hours of drumming each day, you're doing something fairly active.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7518888.stm
 
To be honest, half of the top drummers I've seen are just ridiculously fat... If you're over weight, you're gonna have groove. ahahah
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. I've been doing mainly stretching and cardio-style exercise (swimming or elliptical machine) 2-3 times a week for a couple of years now and feel much better for it. Just wish I had never quit 20 years ago when kids and career had to come first.

Diet and proper rest are the other demons in my life that have to be managed as best as possible.

Streching, cardio, and swimming are good, but I'd suggest reserving a little time for some weights.
I'm not talking about trying to get pumped up and ripped, but just some light weights to keep those muscles toned.
Besides diet and proper rest, the big 3 for me are stretching/yoga, cardio, and weight training.
 
I think fitness is key to happy drumming...and a happy life. Our instrument is very physically demanding and can really punish the body...especially on those long gigs, hauling a ton of gear into narrow spaces, setting up, playing, tearing down...

I've been into weight training since age 14 (35 now) and usually stay fit, but have struggled with an extra 20 lbs. or so, for the last few years. Hope it's gone soon - 3-4 cardio workouts per week and 1-2 trips to the gym for weight training. I've overhauled my diet to cut out refined sugars and other junk that works against my me. Fresh foods, lots of water, etc.

It has a noticeable impact! I can keep up with the hardest and heaviest music, when needed, and I'm always energetic.
 
To be honest, half of the top drummers I've seen are just ridiculously fat... If you're over weight, you're gonna have groove. ahahah
Maybe you aren't seeing enough drummers!... Just 'sayin.
I know of very few top-call drummers who are overweight. A few exceptions, and those who are obese could probably reach even higher heights if they paid more attention to their physical capacities.
 
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