Students pounding it out in new fitness program

There’s a new activity attracting the third grade class at Hillman Elementary School. All the sport requires is open space. And lots and lots of colorful drum sticks to bang on the ground.

Poundfit is the name.

According to poundfit.com, the workout began in 2011 by two former recreational drummers and college atheles:

It wasn’t until they were forced to drum without a stool and squat over the drum kit that they realized drumming and exercise could be one and the same.

According to Psychology Today, “group drumming and recreational music making increases the body’s production of cancer killing t-cells, decreases stress, and can change the genomic stress marker.”

When intervention specialist Meg Romel was thinking of ways get the students at Hillman more in tuned with their minds and bodies, all she needed was music and the sticks to get the kids pounding it out on the floor.

“It gives them coordination. It gives them rhythm. Using the drum stick, we will learn different rhythm patterns,” Romel said.

Research shows the activity improves focus, builds healthy immune systems and helps fight depression.