Zendrum And Your Health
Playing an instrument is often like an athletic skill. It requires maintaining your body for the best performance. The Zendrum plays like something between handrums and a guitar (if worn wih a strap), and frankly, although the instrument is ergonomic, the human body really isn't designed for this. Shoulder strength is of utmost importance to avoid shoulder, back and neck injuries, particularly if you play live sets often.
Any musician should begin an exercise program that involves both weight training and aerobic training. Weight training comes in many forms; dumbbells, free-weights, nautilus, universal, etc. Aerobic exercise means to maintain your heart rate at an elevated level for at least 20 minutes so the body enters into the aerobic energy cycle which reduces body fat and strengthens the heart. This can be bicycle, treadmill, stair machine, swimming, “step” classes, and traditional aerobics classes. Some sports activities also bring your body into the aerobic range. These including handball, jogging, tennis, skiing.
Finger strength will come naturally with playing a Zendrum. Its the possible strain and injury to back, neck and shoulder that should be worked on besides just through playing to avoid strain or injury.
While weight training, you should concentrate on high repetition, low to medium weight exercises. Each set of exercises should consist of 15 repetitions. If you feel that you cannot attain 15 “reps” then you are working with too much weight. Choose exercises that you are comfortable with and that stress work on the shoulders, arms and upper chest. There are plenty of exercise programs to be found on the internet which are easily modified to building strength to comfortably wear and play a Zendrum (or guitar, for that matter) for extended periods of time.
To lessen stress on the left shoulder, the widest strap possible whould be worn, which distributes the weight more evenly across the collarbone. If after a performance, your wrist, shoulder or neck hurts, work on improving the muscle tone before your next gig.
The last thing that you want is a performance ruined by a cramp or bruise.
