Fitness is a matter that requires dedication to a strict flow of activities to improve an individual’s health. However, staying fit doesn’t have to be boring because cardio drumming is here. If you want to learn more about this fun fitness trend, then you’re in the right place!
What is Cardio Drumming?

Cardio drumming is an excellent aerobic exercise that helps individuals burn calories while playing to the beat of their favorite song. Furthermore, this specific type of exercise can also improve muscle endurance. Therefore, making it perfect for drummers who play long music sessions.
Although the term itself sounds misleading, cardio drumming doesn’t require a student snare drum kit or pads. In addition, diving into this exercise doesn’t require any previous skill in drumming. That’s why getting into this workout isn’t expensive and gruesome as it seems to be.
The Benefits of Cardio Drumming
Playing the drums alone can help you burn an average of 252 calories in an hour. That’s equivalent to around 100g of canned oil tuna. Now imagine the number of calories an individual can burn through this exercise!
Cardio drumming comes to play when we implement drumming’s core movement into a full-fledged exercise. Therefore, getting into it provides users with vast benefits such as the following:
Full Cardio Workout
A cardio workout is a type of exercise that increases a person’s heart rate. Consequently, increasing respiration and blood flow for a healthier cardiovascular and respiratory health. In addition, cardio workouts can help individuals lose weight by burning calories.
With a stick and a rubber ball, cardio drumming encourages participants to play with the tempo of their workout song. Thus, resulting in better stamina and engagement of core muscles that are in use when drumming.
Helps With Tempo
I understand the struggle of beginners when it comes to finding a song’s tempo, especially with people who have beat deafness. Luckily, this exercise encourages people to use their left and right brain hemispheres.
In this light, drummers can train their brains to improve their hand-eye coordination and auditory senses. As a result, training drummers and individuals to feel a song’s tempo and stay on time.
Enjoyable Core Workout
Hitting a rubber ball with a stick isn’t the only thing you do in cardio drumming. This exercise includes jumping, squats, and dancing that engages core muscles.
Furthermore, most drumming workouts encourage physical movements which engage other body parts such as arms and legs. This exercise’s proper form also includes engaging the abdominal muscles while squatting, providing users with better muscle stamina.
Therapeutic Benefits
What most people don’t know is that drumming has therapeutic capacities for people with brain impairment or damage. As stated, drumming encourages the brain’s left and right hemispheres to work hand in hand. Therefore, making cardio drumming suitable for people who are recovering from the effects of stroke.
This exercise also helps people with neurological disabilities! For instance, individuals with Parkinson’s Disease can try this workout as part of their therapy sessions. In addition, elderlies and individuals suffering from arthritis can also give this workout a try.
In conclusion, drumming exercises can become a suitable supplement to an individual’s therapeutic sessions. This type of exercise can help also people suffering from physical pains such as back pain and arthritis.
What Do I Need to Get Started with Cardio Drumming?— A Buyer’s Guide
Now that we have discussed the benefits of cardio drumming, let’s hop into the nitty-gritty of the products you’ll need! As stated, you wouldn’t need a standard or electronic drumkit for this specific workout.
However, you’ll still need the proper equipment to gain the benefits stated above in this article. For this reason, I crafted this buyer’s guide to help you find the best products for this task!
A Pair of Drumsticks
The first thing you’ll need in cardio drumming will be a pair of drumsticks. Well, this is the only thing that you’ll need concerning drumming.
Any drumstick type and size would do for this exercise. For example, individuals can utilize the best sticks for electronic drums such as the Vic Firth American Classic 5A. Nevertheless, buyers would still have to consider the size and grip of their drumsticks for the best experience.
Yoga Ball
In cardio drumming, a yoga or rubber ball will be the one that’ll receive your swings. Utilizing a yoga ball rather than a standard snare or drum pad reduces the overall noise produced. Consequently, allowing users to have a relatively quiet session without needing a soundproof drum room.
Furthermore, a yoga ball reduces the impact of strikes, reducing the strain and hand stings an individual may feel. This results in better endurance and a comfortable workout experience.
Bucket Base
For cardio drumming to become effective, participants will need a stable base because yoga balls tend to be bouncy. Therefore, I advise buyers to find a bucket that can fit the upper half of yoga balls.
To save money, buyers can utilize laundry baskets or plastic buckets at home. Just ensure that they have strong polymer materials to avoid breakage.
Phone-Compatible Speaker Set
Cardio drumming entails that participants will play accordingly to a song’s beat. That’s why having a phone-compatible speaker set is a must! However, if you have an MP3-compatible best amplifier for electronic drums, then you can use that too.
A Workout Playlist
It wouldn’t be cardio drumming without songs to play along with! Therefore, make sure to prepare upbeat songs such as “Stronger” and “24K Magic” to name a few.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Setup Cardio Drumming Equipment
Setting up a cardio drumming platform isn’t as hard as putting up a drumkit. In comparison to a standard drumkit, setting up this workout’s equipment doesn’t require tools!
Here’s a 5-step guide on how to set up your workout equipment:
- Set up the bucket in a flat area— this will serve as your base.
- Next, set your yoga ball on top of the bucket and make sure it’s secured.
- Set up your speakers and playlist.
- Grab your drumsticks.
- Play to the beat of the song.
Participants could also use an extra yoga mat or carpet to protect their floors from scratches. In addition, soundproof curtains could also help users dampen the sound of their workout song.
Cardio Drumming for Kids
Cardio drumming can teach children the basics of rhythm aside from its health benefits. Moreover, this exercise can aid children in the development of their hand-eye coordination and auditory skills.
This exercise can also teach children various nursery rhymes within a fun environment. For instance, children can play along with songs such as “Baby Shark” with basic movement.
Not only it is fun, but it also helps them strengthen their muscles in the long run. In addition, this activity can become a fun way to introduce children to the world of drumming.
Cardio Drumming for Adults
When it comes to adults, cardio drumming changes its purpose into more of an aerobics exercise than a learning opportunity. By going in a squat position, adults can engage their core while hitting the ball. Thus, providing them with a cardio exercise while strengthening their core.
Furthermore, this workout enhances the muscle strength and stamina of participants. That’s why it’s an excellent workout for drummers who wants to improve their endurance when playing.
Cardio Drumming for Seniors

Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis that elderlies are more prone to get. Therefore, cardio drumming is a suitable way for them to keep a senior’s joints healthy.
The main difference between this exercise for seniors and adults is that seniors are advised to be seated when performing. Nevertheless, this type of exercise can still help seniors exercise their heart, lungs, and upper body muscle groups.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, cardio drumming is an exercise perfect for all ages. Not only it doesn’t require previous knowledge to get into, but it’s also fun to do with a group.
Furthermore, this workout provides participants with an enjoyable way to improve their muscle strength and stamina. This exercise can also be done within homes— plus the necessary tools are incredibly cheap!
Therefore, if you wanna improve your endurance when playing drums or just looking to get fit, then consider cardio drumming!
Frequently Asked Questions about Cardio Drumming
Is cardio drumming a good workout?
Cardio drumming enhances the muscle strength and stamina of its participants. This makes this exercise perfect for drummers who want to improve their endurance when drumming. Therefore, if you’re looking for an exercise that can improve your stamina and fitness, then try doing this workout.
What is cardio drumming?
Cardio drumming is a fun workout that utilizes a yoga ball and drumsticks to play along with the tempo of upbeat songs. In addition, this workout doesn’t require any previous knowledge of drumming. That’s why it’s an excellent exercise for all ages!
Can you lose weight doing cardio drumming?
As stated, cardio drumming can help participants burn up to 900 calories per session— given that they perform fast-paced songs. In comparison, this result is far more than the 250 calories per hour burn drumming can provide.
What do I need for cardio drumming?
This exercise only requires a yoga ball, pair of drumsticks, and a plastic bucket to perform. By using the plastic bucket as a base, participants can put the yoga ball on top of it for stability. Subsequently, they can proceed to hit the ball with the drumstick according to the tempo of a song.
Does drumming tone your arms?
Drumming can help individuals to tone their arms. However, this result comes after a long time since drumming can only burn up to 900 calories. In this light, if you want faster results, you can supplement drumming with arm dedicated arm workouts.