I had an idea to see what kinds of input some of you have on general drummer health. Here are a bunch of ideas and questions I have, but feel free to take it elsewhere as long as it pertains to health, food, exercise (not technique exercises, but muscle exercises), etc. Basically, I'm curious to know what kinds of things you do to keep your drummin' bodies in shape for the kinds of drumming you do.
Is exercising part of your daily drumming routine to keep your body up to speed? General toning, situps, pushups, back strength workouts, running, tennis? What is your routine?
You should always stretch before playing/practicing, but what kinds of stretches do you find most helpful, and on which muscle groups?
When you practice a lengthy set, what kinds of fluids do you keep on hand, and how often do you take a break, get up, stretch, take a walk, etc? What kinds of snacks do you keep on hand?
In terms of hand-health, have you ever had problems with nail growth, nail biting, failing nerve endings, or other things that caused pain/discomfort which inhibited your playing, and if so, how did you correct/overcome/heal them? How about your feet?
To make sure you have "one of those good practice days", how much sleep do you get the night before?
What kinds of hearing protection do you find most effective in terms of more db-reduction, with less clarity-reduction?
Some other ideas:
Have fun, and I hope everyone has a happy, safe and healthy holiday!
Is exercising part of your daily drumming routine to keep your body up to speed? General toning, situps, pushups, back strength workouts, running, tennis? What is your routine?
You should always stretch before playing/practicing, but what kinds of stretches do you find most helpful, and on which muscle groups?
When you practice a lengthy set, what kinds of fluids do you keep on hand, and how often do you take a break, get up, stretch, take a walk, etc? What kinds of snacks do you keep on hand?
In terms of hand-health, have you ever had problems with nail growth, nail biting, failing nerve endings, or other things that caused pain/discomfort which inhibited your playing, and if so, how did you correct/overcome/heal them? How about your feet?
To make sure you have "one of those good practice days", how much sleep do you get the night before?
What kinds of hearing protection do you find most effective in terms of more db-reduction, with less clarity-reduction?
Some other ideas:
- Posture
- Injuries
- Diets
- Over exhaustion
- Forms of mental exhaustion
- Experiences with over the counter treatments, i.e. IcyHot, back braces, Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts, etc.
Have fun, and I hope everyone has a happy, safe and healthy holiday!