Playing music can be as physical as it is mental and emotional. Just setting up for your gig can be a workout. And engaging with your instrument demands stamina, control, and continuous movement.
Are you a drummer? Then you know that playing drums requires constant movement of your entire body. Studies have revealed that you burn hundreds of calories per hour with high-intensity drumming, and that your heart rate can be elevated to a stage similar to mild aerobic exercise, much like a cyclist or jogger.
Are you a singer? Then you know that singing requires sustained control of the diaphragm. As does playing a brass instrument, like the trumpet, or a woodwind, like the saxophone. That kind of exercise serves to strengthen you respiratory system and increase your lung capacity.
Are you a guitarist or pianist? Playing those instruments requires you to execute different movements with each hand at the same time. That builds dexterity as it trains your mind to handle multiple, sometimes contrary movements simultaneously. And uptempo passages serve to strengthen the muscles in your forearms, wrists, and fingers.
No matter what instrument you play, you will have to rely on your core, back, and shoulders to provide appropriate upright posture to play well, that is, to support yourself as well as the instrument you’re playing.
All in all, playing music is a physical endeavor, one that supports physical fitness and is served well by the musician who is physically fit.