Always out of breath, need to get my stamina up somehow.

Shild

Member
I'm going to be trying out for a seriously fast speed/thrash metal band. I'm always finding myself out of breath after playing a song. Wondering what I can do? Going to have to soup myself up somehow if I'm going to be in this band. Wondering how much it would help if I had a bottle of oxygen with me while doing this?
 
I'm going to be trying out for a seriously fast speed/thrash metal band. I'm always finding myself out of breath after playing a song. Wondering what I can do? Going to have to soup myself up somehow if I'm going to be in this band. Wondering how much it would help if I had a bottle of oxygen with me while doing this?

Switch to gluten free beer.
 
Sounds like you need to stop smoking and go exercise. Sounds crazy.

Do you breathe while playing? You should be breathing normally as you play- pay attention to it and see what you are actually doing. My son holds his breath during fills for some reason and I pointed it out to him and he had no idea.
 
What helped my breathing more than anything else was taking a yoga class in college. Since then, I've never had issues of holding my breath, or breathing hard and fast, or running out of air. I'm much more calm, even when exerting energy.
 
See a doctor. Lose weight, if necessary. Exercise , jog if the Dr. says OK. or swim something that forces you to get your heart rate up and improve your oxygen intake and exchange. The drumming do all of this a little at a time. Nothing good happens over night. I have lost 30 pounds in the last six weeks by having NO bread, potatoes, white rice, pasta or sweets. DO it.
 
Jogging. Or your favorite form of cardio. So you huff and puff. That will increase your oxygen capacity.
 
back when I was playing heavy music hour sets on tour used to kick my ass

I started running between a mile to 3 miles a day or at least every other day and my fatigue disappeared

I would wake up early and run around whatever city we were in at the time... listen to some tunes and take in the sites then eat a huge breakfast

being winded became a thing of the past .... my stamina in every part of my life increases... but my appetite went through the roof
 
Find out if you have any medical problems that may be causing it first.

If not, then follow some of the good suggestions given here.
 
Find out if you have any medical problems that may be causing it first.

If not, then follow some of the good suggestions given here.

^^ I'm with this. The advice from your doctor would recommend what kind of working out you can do (or can't do). I've discovered that I've developed a slight medical condition that my doctor and I are working on now, but I wouldn't have known it had I not gone to see the doctor.
 
Please see a doctor. Last May, I felt out breath for no reason. I went my doctor and he sent me to the emergency room. They did an angiogram and found out I had one artery 99% blocked and one other 88% blocked. They immediately but two stents in me.

The artery that was 99% blocked is one nicknamed the widowmaker.

I am not overweight but I did have bad habits for 25 years.
 
Agreed. But if the doctor clears you for exercise, you might wanna try boxing. It jump starts your cardio because it's immediately strenuous, and it also toughens your leg muscles. Might help with the double bass drumming.
 
Like other said, get fitter.

I started playing ice hockey a year or so ago and started getting fitter so I could get better at that; doing runs, core exercises, some weights.

The spinoff benefit was that my drumming stamina went up, and even how I play due to improved balance on the throne.
 
Another aspect of this is staying relaxed while you're at the kit. Don't use or tense muscles you don't need, make sure you've got a relaxed grip and you use technique properly to lessen the physical exertion from playing.
 
Please see a doctor. Last May, I felt out breath for no reason. I went my doctor and he sent me to the emergency room. They did an angiogram and found out I had one artery 99% blocked and one other 88% blocked. They immediately but two stents in me.

The artery that was 99% blocked is one nicknamed the widowmaker.

I am not overweight but I did have bad habits for 25 years.


+1...Only mine was March. I usually walk my subdivision. One circuit equals a mile. Due to the cold weather in the beginning of the year, I hadn't been walking. Finally we got some warm weather and I went out for a walk. Within a half mile, I was already winded. I told my wife I couldn't believe I'd gotten out of shape that bad so quickly.

About a week later, I was at my office when the chest pain started. At first I thought it was indigestion, but then I started getting weak and sweating. After a quick ambulance ride I found myself in the hospital. No actual heart attack (so no damage), but an artery blocked greater than 90%. Stent put in 5pm on Thursday, they kicked me out at noon on Friday, and I was back at work Monday feeling better than I had in months.

It's amazing what your body can do with oxygen!

Go see the doc to be on the safe side. You DO NOT want a $43,000 hospital bill...
 
See a doctor. Lose weight, if necessary. Exercise , jog if the Dr. says OK. or swim something that forces you to get your heart rate up and improve your oxygen intake and exchange. The drumming do all of this a little at a time. Nothing good happens over night. I have lost 30 pounds in the last six weeks by having NO bread, potatoes, white rice, pasta or sweets. DO it.

Sounds almost identical to what I've done. 27 pounds in two months, none of the above but still eat well.
 
Agreed. But if the doctor clears you for exercise, you might wanna try boxing. It jump starts your cardio because it's immediately strenuous, and it also toughens your leg muscles. Might help with the double bass drumming.

While boxing is great excercise,as with any excercise,after you're medically cleared,and given age factors,you need to start GRADUALLY,then work your way up to full out cardio.You don't start out running 6 minute miles,when first starting to run,and you don't summet Everest when first learing mountian climbing........... right?

The same as you don't pick a Dream Theatre tune with Portnoy thundering away on double bass,for a first song to learn,when first picking up the sticks.

See a doctor first,who'll give you a complete exam ,and with breating problems,a lung function test(totally painless) to determine pulmonary fitness..

There is no short cut or magic pill to cardio/pulmonary fitness.You have to do the work.While the O2 may give a temporary,short term solution,it is .....temporary.So, you need to put the controllers down,put away the video games,and do some excercise.....pronto.There are some programs like Billy Banks Tai-Bo workouts that build muscle and cardio/pumonary fitness.Remember,you're also not in your twenties anymore.

But...see a doctor first....and do it now.If you smoke....stop.And put down the cheese burgers,soda and tocos.You'll be doing yourself,and your future self ......a big favor.:)

Steve B
 
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