Ringing Handbells

katxena · September 2010

I am in a handbell choir. Does anyone know how many calories handbell ringing burns? I find it mildly strenuous. Like a normal walk. It's all upper body, so it gets the heart beating.

It's not a hard workout, but I'd like to be able to account for that activity. I usually just don't log it, and I buy my weekly Starbucks drink on the day we rehearse -- and I don't log that either. I'm sure that doesn't balance out completely, but it's a little cheat I allow myself. I'd like to get it on the up and up though.

aippolito1 · September 2010

Get a heart rate monitor.

adplus7 · September 2010

I suppose you would have to figure out how long you play and if you ring the small bells or the big bells. As you said, a good walk may be the same calories. Big bells might be a faster walk if your notes are played often.

rose1617 · September 2010

I'd estimate about 180 calories for an hour.
I got this by using the calories burned calculator (search through google) and put in 150 lbs. (no idea what you weigh, that's an estimate) and did cooking or playing piano. Since ringing handbells is mostly upper body, but a little bit of moving around with your legs, too (depending which bells you play and if you play more than one), I figured cooking was actually the most accurate. Different ingredients/boxes/tubs weigh different amounts just like different handbells weigh different amounts and you do a little walking with both. And with playing paino you move your feet a little, too, to reach the pedals although there's not as much lifting involved. Anyway both said about 180 calories an hour at 150 lbs.

00trayn · September 2010

I used to play in the handbell choir at my high school! It was interesting.... Sister Mary Gomolka was in charge and she was a bit of a scary nun. Anyway, I second wearing a heart rate monitor. I can't really think of a better way to estimate that. For activities like that, I just leave it be without logging and know that I have a slightly larger calorie cushion from it.

MaybeImNot · September 2010

I would not log this as exercise. If you do get a heart rate monitor be sure to subtract the calories you would normally burn during that hour too.

dogdaze · September 2010

Try some other exercise databases. I wanted to know how much energy I used moving and stacking hay bales this summer (we have horses and put up some of our own hay). I was able to find that information elsewhere by googling it.

If you can't find it, I think the suggestion about using a heart rate monitor is a good one

Azdak · September 2010

I would not log this as exercise. If you do get a heart rate monitor be sure to subtract the calories you would normally burn during that hour too.

Not to mention the fact that if you are doing primarily upper-body work, the HRM will significantly overestimate calories burned. And if you HR does not go above 100, it will overestimate even more.

Using an HRM for this is not a good idea.

katxena · September 2010

Ok, thanks all. I guess I'll just skip it. I really wanted to have an idea of whether the exercise from it was making up for my Starbucks treat -- but in thinking about it, I realize that I will get the Starbucks anyway, even if it doesn't. It's my only sweet indulgence right now.

I play four-in-hand (but often play 6 or more bells, not counting accidentals) and am a soloist. Between rehearsal time and performance time, I really do feel like there's some physical benefit from it, somewhere in the casual walk or (as rose1617 cleverly suggested) cooking neighborhood. I guess I'll continue with my current approach of not logging it or the Starbucks.

kitsy1959 · October 2011

I, too, play handbells, and would like to know how many calories are burned. 45 minute concert today, 30 minute rehearsal once a week.

Persikka · October 2011

I would love to know as well. We rehearse for an hour once a week, and i play the bigger, lower end bells (not the biggest, but the B4 - D4 range), and I ring rather regularly. i know for me it very much is a work out!
MFP has music playing rock and roll band/guitar standing up, i wonder if that might be about on par (since we stand the whole time as well, and guitar would also be mostly upper body work).

annamika510 · January 2013

I know this is from years ago but I too play the handbells. I usually cover the entire bass clef and am usually running around to grab all the bells I need to play. I have the bigger bells and usually have 5-9/10 bells per song (How I get most notes in I have no idea). And usually I am sore and have heavy breathing after playing harder songs. I like to think that it is a nice work out cause I am lifting and ringing. I want to log it because its about 45 min per practice and once in a while we perform.

I just log it under Strength Training because it is kind of like weight lifting.

tladyrose · January 2014

I totally agree with this - I think for the normal upper register, cooking is a great log of your workout. But for us bass bell ringers (i'm C3 - C4 ish) they can be 7 to 10 lbs each and after rehearsal i'm feeling like I just worked out.

I'm categorizing it as weight lifting instead of cardio. If you consider each bell as a weight (I was 8 lbs as a median), and then how many reps you do (estimated per a normal 10 pg piece, at least that what ours are...). Some songs are obviously longer/harder than others, but by taking a quick glance at your music before rehearsal and counting how many notes you've got (and how many bells in each hand!) that go up and down is a good measure of how often your lifting, ringing, and going back to the table.

I was also thinking that using the kettlebell exercise category would work well too.

janeite1990 · January 2014

I decided early on that I wasn't going to log any activity I was doing before I started trying to lose. I figure, I was doing X and I have this much weight, so it isn't really helping me much. I log only what I add on, like elliptical, running, exercise videos. Some days I walk a lot for work. I don't log that, though, because I already did that before. I don't think logging the handbells will help you reach your goal. I believe you when you say it has upper body benefits, but you were already getting them.

DavPul · January 2014

Get a heart rate monitor.

this.

definitely this.

Mustang_Susie · January 2014

I used to play in the handbell choir at my high school! It was interesting.... Sister Mary Gomolka was in charge and she was a bit of a scary nun. Anyway, I second wearing a heart rate monitor. I can't really think of a better way to estimate that. For activities like that, I just leave it be without logging and know that I have a slightly larger calorie cushion from it.

I had a few scary nuns myself in high school.
What was up with that...??

cafeaulait7 · January 2014

You could make it more full body while you practice! Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3rHibpKMxc

(I had to link to that

)

morkiemama · January 2014

Get a heart rate monitor.

No. A HRM will not help you here. HRMs cannot track everything, even though many people think they can. They are devices that are designed for a specific purpose and give you useless, irrelevant data outside of that designed purpose.

HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio only. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!

Choir bells likely do not fall into the steady state cardio category, unless you are jogging while playing.

This is a helpful blog post for understanding HRMs:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

ValerieMartini2Olives · January 2014

I used to play handbells! I played for nearly 7 years. I miss playing so much!!

Ringing Handbells

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