I was recently at my medical provider in the SF bay area
for an annual check-up. While waiting for the appointment, I was asked to fill
out a survey on if I smoke, if I drank and if I exercised along with my age, sex
and education level. Although I never smoke, drink sparingly and do exercise
some, it made me think about the association of these things with piping.
Piping is an aerobic exercise of sort; any piper will
tell you that. It takes a lot of wind to keep the bagpipes going steady. But
how would and does my lifestyle affect my playing? Would drinking less and
exercising more help? And conversely, would less exercise affect my practice
and performance? I think the answer is obvious… YES! Do I need to do
triathlons, bicycle hundreds of miles a week or play world class tennis to get
any benefits? No. But get off the couch and get moving would.
So what benefit might I expect? Staying physically active
and leading a healthy lifestyle will keep me stronger and fit to keep doing
what I like to do. It also contributes to mental health according to the
National Institute of Health. I know, mental health… in bagpipers may seem an
oxymoron, but keeping mentally sharp will certainly help me in playing music,
memorizing tunes as well as in presentation during performance. Long term health benefits of exercising can
also help with improving physical issues already in a person’s life.
That old adage of use it or lose it is true; applied to
piping, even more so. Piping relies on memorizing music that when played solo
or in a band must be played in unison. Proper health and nutrition does affect
how I memorize and play. They also affect my small motor skills and muscle
memory, things that are directly affected by my health and exercise. Ignoring
exercise and nutrition we all will have less energy and focus in what we are
attempting.
So what exercise should I be attempting? Deferring to the
N.I.H. for adults:
* Some physical activity is better than none. People gain
health benefits from as little as 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic
activity per week. I’ll probably keep my weight down too!
* For major health benefits, do at least 150 minutes (2
hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes (1
hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week.
* When doing aerobic activity, do it for at least 10
minutes at a time. Spread the activity throughout the week.
Muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate or vigorous intensity should
be included 2 or more days a week. These activities should work all of the
major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).
Activity is good for your health, both physical, mental
and positively affects my piping. I know that the hardest activity is being
motivated to get out of bed or off the couch and start exercising. So go for
that walk at lunch or after dinner, get up and away from your desk, go the gym,
play a sport like running, biking or swimming. Anything that gets you moving is
a good thing. And afterward, take those pipes out and play.
