Does your heart march to the beat of your own drum?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
You may THINK you got rhythm — your body KNOWS it does! Timing is everything when it comes to keeping you alive. Whether it’s breathing or pumping blood, your body requires a beat. And you don’t control that internal rhythm. Or DO you?
Researchers led by Ilanit Gordon from Bar Ilan University investigated. They monitored the heart beats of fifty drum trios. Half matched a steady tempo, while the rest tried matching unpredictable rhythms. Afterwards, researchers checked each drummer’s heartbeat to see how well they synced up with their bandmates.
What did they find? Drumroll, please!
The steady-drummers heartbeats were more synchronized than the random-drummers. They also reported a greater sense of unity. The better we understand each other, the stronger our empathy and cooperation. It certainly works for drumming and heart beats!
So, don’t be an outsider! Start a drum circle and your hearts might align. Can’t BEAT that!