Julie Raney is a certified and licensed audiologist. She has a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master’s Degree in Audiology from Idaho State University. She has worked as a clinical audiologist in Colorado since 2005. She specializes in hearing amplification for adults and delivers her services in both English and Sign Language.

Music and Exercise

A common trend in the US is to listen to music while exercising. Music lifts our moods and can motivate us to move faster and work out with more exertion. Many find enjoyment and motivation listening to their favorite music while they bike, run, lift weights, or in a group aerobics class. Whether it’s pop, rock, hip hop, rap, r&b, experimental noise, or classical, it’s important to listen safely. At high volumes, even the most soothing music could be causing permanent damage to your ears.

Dangerous Decibels Levels

Many aerobic classes turn up the volume to help people to work harder and to burn more calories. Similarly, many people find inspiration in their routine while working out at home or while listening to earbuds. The issue is the decibel level. Decibels are a measurement that tracks the volume, intensity, and loudness of sound. 60dB is the level of a normal conversation and won’t bother your ears as you listen indefinitely. As the decibels start to rise, they can start to be bothersome or stress-inducing but once they reach 85dB or higher you risk permanent hearing loss.

It’s not just the level of decibel but the length of exposure. Your ears can withstand a constant exposure of 85dB for 8 hours before damage begins. However, as the decibels rise the time it takes for damage to occur shrinks quickly. In many exercise classes, music is louder than 90 decibels (dB). That’s as loud as a subway train screeching to a halt at the platform. Sometimes the music has the potential to reach 100dB or more in noisy gymnasiums where sound can become extra amplified as it bounces off hard surfaces and mirrors. At 90dB constant exposure can cause damage in under an hour while at 100db damage can occur in around 15 minutes!

Understanding Hearing Loss

Do you ever finish your workout, whether it’s in an aerobics class, in the gym, or with your earbuds, and feel like your ears are ringing? This is called tinnitus and a clear signal that your music volume was loud enough to cause permanent damage. Once sound enters your ears, it must be transformed into electrical pulses with tiny hair-like cells within the inner ear, called stereocilia. Stereocilia are the final step in sending these signals to the brain where sounds are identified and speech is interpreted. When sounds are too loud for too long it can cause the stereocilia to shatter, become damaged, or even destroyed leaving you with a lifetime of hearing loss.

Turn it Down

It’s important to remember that you can always turn down the volume and still get a similar effect when you work out. Loudness doesn’t equal a more intense workout. If anything, loud volumes put stress on the entire body. If you love your exercise class but don’t love the volume don’t be afraid to ask the instructor to turn down the volume a bit. Chances are you are not the only one in the class who has noticed. If your ears are at risk, so is every other person in the gym. If turning down is not an option, don’t try to resist hearing protection. Protective earplugs and earmuffs can lower the decibel of your exposure from 15-33dB depending on the model. That’s enough to protect your ears from permanent hearing loss and a lifetime of communication issues.

Protect Your Hearing

If you love working out and listening to music, you can still enjoy it. Just make sure you do it as safely as possible. If you suspect you already have hearing loss, don’t let it go undiagnosed and unaddressed. Hearing loss can cause communication rifts which over time can lead to depression and loss of mobility. If you love moving and exercising then that’s just one more reason to schedule a hearing exam today!