The Beat Goes On | The Benefits of Drumming
April 19, 2023
Beating a drum does more than keep rhythm. It can help reduce stress, burn calories, and generally provide a boost to your overall feeling of well-being.
Those are just a few reasons why Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall offers a drum circle, which is a group of people who come together informally to make music with percussion instruments.
The program at Carolina Bay, a luxury rental senior living community in Wilmington, North Carolina, is called Pound It. Participants use drumsticks to beat on exercise balls which is an activity that can be done while seated. Not only is it fun, it also builds and promotes heart health and upper body strength.
Gathering in a circle to beat a drum is an age-old practice with ancient roots in cultures that have strong drumming traditions, such as in Asia and Africa, and among Native American cultures.
No training or musical background is required to be part of a drum circle, and as Pound It shows, it’s not even necessary to have a drum.
Here are some benefits of drum circles:
Heart Health:
Studies have found that drumming may improve cardiovascular health. And exercise is most sustainable when it involves something that the individual enjoys, such as drumming. Furthermore, drumming has also been found to reduce anxiety and significantly decrease blood pressure.
Reduce Depression:
It has been demonstrated that group drumming can reduce depression and anxiety and improve social resilience.
Drumming is exercise:
Beating a drum takes energy and that can help a person burn calories, and increase their stamina, according to a study that measured the energy expended by drummers at concerts.
Build Brain Power:
Drummers have been shown to have higher cognitive functioning ability compared to control groups. An intelligence test with sixty questions that was developed in a Swedish study showed that higher test scores correlated with the ability to keep a beat as a drummer would.
Helps Control Chronic Pain:
The University of North Georgia reported that taking part in drumming reduced chronic pain. Four of seven volunteers reduced their medication during the time frame of study.
Promotes Relaxation:
Music, it is said, has the power to soothe the savage beast, and that’s true with drumming. A 2020 study showed that healthcare facilities may use a steady drum beat to elicit a more relaxing mood in patients, which contributed to improved overall health.
Creates a Sense of Community:
Drumming is an activity that an individual can do on their own or as part of a group. Matching your beats to others playing in a group can build a sense of social connectedness.
For times when you’d rather listen to music, than play it yourself, Carolina Bay retirement community has numerous venues nearby, at which you can listen to live music including the historic Thalian Hall, the Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College, and two outdoor venues: Live Oak Pavilion at Riverfront Park, and the Greenfield Lakes Amphitheater.
Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall and its adjacent Bradley Creek Health Center offer independent living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing, thus providing a complete continuum of care for seniors.