Drumming fitness system and method

A drumming exercise method comprising:

• providing a set of drum sticks configured to be held and moved by a user with each said drum stick including a motion sensor;
• detecting drumming motions of each said drum stick via the respective said motion sensor when each said drum stick is moved by the user;
• transmitting, from each said motion sensor, said detecting of the drumming motions to a processor communicatively coupled to said motion sensors;
• determining, by the processor, a distance each said drum stick is moved between the drumming motions of each said drum stick using said motion sensor of each said drum stick;
• determining an amount of time between the drumming each said drum stick;
• and
• calculating with the processor a calorie expenditure of the user based at least on the estimated distance each of said drum sticks is moved between the drumming motions of each said drum stick and the amount of time between the drumming motions of each said drum stick.

A drumming exercise system comprising:

• one or more elongate objects configured for holding and moving by a user;
• a plurality of drum pads each defining a striking surface;
• a sensor operatively connected to each drum pad for detecting drumming motions of said one or more elongate objects when said one or more elongate objects are moved by the user to strike said striking surface;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to said sensor, wherein said processor is configured to:
• determine which one of said plurality of drum pads is struck by the user when the user strikes said drum pads in a pattern;
• use a known distance between each of said drum pads to estimate a distance moved by the user between each strike of each drum pad of said drum pads;
• determine an amount of time between each strike of each drum pad when individual ones of said plurality of drum pads are struck by the user;
• establish a rate at which said drum pads are struck by the user;
• determine an intensity of each strike of the striking surface with said one or more elongate objects;
• and
• calculate a calorie expenditure of the user based at least on the estimated distance moved by the user between each strike of each drum pad of said drum pads, the amount of time between each strike of each said drum pad, the intensity of each strike of each striking surface, and the rate at which said drum pads are struck by the user.