How did drumming change your body?

WaitForItDrummer

Senior Member
Right! So after about 2 years of practicing a lot (about 2 h a day, 1400 hours in total) + playing about 4 h a week, there has been a few subtle physical changes i observed...

Which makes me wonder what happens after playing for 5-10-20-30 years?

My wrists got bigger / thicker - wouldn't have noticed it but I've had a watch for about 8 years with a non-adjustable strap and it's tight, uncomfortable- used to be loose...

My hands, fingers got bigger - leather gloves I got 8 years ago are really tight, uncomfortable (it's not stretchy)

Shoulders got bigger (some clothes from a few years ago don't fit...)

I don't body build or gained weight, so I think it's been the drumming! :)

How about you guys?
 
It made my hair fall out and seems so be solely responsible for an unwanted expansion around my midriff. I'm sure if I had've taken up the triangle, I'd still be blessed with my 20 year old physique.
 
It didnt. I was a skinny little guy 30 years ago and I am a skinny little guy now. Hair loss would seem to be the only side effect of protracted drumming. So be careful ladies.
 
It didnt. I was a skinny little guy 30 years ago and I am a skinny little guy now. Hair loss would seem to be the only side effect of protracted drumming. So be careful ladies.

LOL

Me personally - no idea. I´m new to drumming and I´ll probably never find out cos I have always done a lot of sports and I am currently doing a lot of yoga so have no idea what the effects of drumming will do.

That said, most of the male drummers I have seen tend to have attractive, toned, strong-looking forearms and shoulders. *swoon*
 
I've got fat and my knees ache. I spend too much time drumming and not enough time riding the horse. Could also be age taking its toll!
 
I lost weight . . . in my wallet.
 
When I only played guitar, my left hand got sore. Now both hands and the feet are sore, as well.
 
stiffness in my hihat knee and my bass pedal foot can ache sometimes after longer practice or gig. mentally i am in much better shape. brain is an important muscle.
 
Drumming changed my mind more than my body.

Any bodily changes are not outwardly noticeable. Stretched out tendons are hard to spot lol.
 
I've been playing since adolescence, so I couldn't really say.

My personal observations say it doesn't make a lick of difference. I've seen drummers of all shapes in sizes, and many of the ones playing the most athletic stuff are the most doughy.

I'd agree with the sentiment that drumming causes cognitive changes more than anything physical.
 
Does a poorer hearing condition count? That's the major change for me I'd say!
 
Hairy palms, blindness.
 
I think my forearms were already developed from sport and maybe piano before I started playing drums but I think there's a fleshiness on top of my wrists that looks like a symptom of drumming.

And when I was going to a massage therapist for a while she noticed problems with my right shoulder. Specifically where the shoulder blade meets the spine. Possibly from lifting weights but maybe reaching around for the hihat.

Um, obviously it's taken its toll on my ears, but thankfully not too much.
 
Right! So after about 2 years of practicing a lot (about 2 h a day, 1400 hours in total) + playing about 4 h a week, there has been a few subtle physical changes i observed...

Which makes me wonder what happens after playing for 5-10-20-30 years?

My wrists got bigger / thicker - wouldn't have noticed it but I've had a watch for about 8 years with a non-adjustable strap and it's tight, uncomfortable- used to be loose...

My hands, fingers got bigger - leather gloves I got 8 years ago are really tight, uncomfortable (it's not stretchy)

Shoulders got bigger (some clothes from a few years ago don't fit...)

I don't body build or gained weight, so I think it's been the drumming! :)

How about you guys?

Our bodies change change overtime without gaining weight. Watch doesn't fit after 8 years, gloves don't fit after 8 years, clothes don't fit after a few years. Me thinks it may be other than drumming. 8 years is a long time.
 
Drumming changed my mind more than my body.

Same here.

I acquired discipline by learning new grooves, rythms or sticking which is helpful in every other aspects of my life.

Also, the enjoyment of constant improvement contributes to my every day well-being and hapiness.

Oh, and the unending quest for gear I don't need hhas made me proficient at deal finding.
 
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