How to keep hearing healthy at the gym

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This post originally appeared on Starkey.com

Whether you’re a regular gym devotee or planning workout classes for the new year—first off, congrats for making your physical health a priority. And while a fitness center can be a fun and motivating place to do just that, it is also important to look after your hearing health while you’re there. Here’s why: noise exposure.

You may not even notice the high noise levels at first, amongst the upbeat, high-tempo pop music that often fills the background of the main gym. Or the cheerful yet commanding voice of your headset-wielding workout instructor. Both of which, are often blaring.

Just how blaring might they be? Well, recent research, for example, found that noise levels in fitness classes—from aerobic to spin—exceeded the maximum levels believed to be safe for hearing. So, even though the intent of loud music or booming instruction may be to boost motivation during workouts, the reality is that it may put you and your instructor at risk for noise-induced hearing loss.

What is noise-induced hearing loss?

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) impacts nearly 40 million U.S. adults aged 20–69, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and occurs when excessively loud noise damages the hair cells in your inner ear and the hearing nerve.

Noise can damage hearing immediately (if it’s sudden or impulse, like an explosion or firecracker near the ear) or over time (if it’s continuous and higher volume, such as music from earbuds—or regular visits to the gym).

The bad news: If the noise exposure is excessive, the hearing loss may be permanent and irreversible.

The good news: Protecting your hearing can help prevent the hearing loss from happening in the first place.

Here are four sensible things you can do to protect your hearing at the gym—so you can maintain your physical wellness and hearing health.

1. Know your noise levels

Paying attention to noise levels at your health club can help inform when or if you should take protective measures with your hearing.

According to the CDC, safe levels of noise exposure (measured in decibels/dB) are as follows:

  • 85 dB for eight hours

  • 88 dB for four hours

  • 91 dB for two hours

  • 94 dB for one hour

  • 97 dB for half an hour

  • 100 dB for 15 minutes

To give you some perspective on what you might expect at the gym: Research reported by the Noise and Health Journal showed that group fitness classes frequently exceed 90 dB and often exceed 100 dB—that’s similar to noise from a rock concert or a jackhammer.

Thankfully, it has never been easier to identify the noise levels around you. You can find out right from your smartphone, thanks to the SoundCheck Live app.

Free and easy to use, SoundCheck Live features a built-in sound level meter that monitors the noise around you in real-time. You can instantly see your current noise levels in decibels and be notified whether sound levels are OK, loud, or requiring hearing protection.

Learn more about the SoundCheck Live app here. 

2. Wear hearing protection

The best way to protect your hearing from excessive noise at the gym is by wearing hearing protection devices. Worn in (earplugs) or on (protective earmuffs) your ears, these devices are designed to physically block sound waves from entering the ear so fewer decibels of sound can get in and potentially cause damage.

You can try foam earplugs as an economical option, or opt for custom hearing protection like SoundGear. SoundGear comes in a variety of different styles to fit your needs and lifestyle.

Learn more about SoundGear hearing protection here.

3. Limit your noise exposure

Using the SoundCheck Live app as your guide, you can regulate your exposure to loud noise at your fitness center by taking breaks—as in, stepping outside of a class or wherever you’re exercising.

It could be as simple as taking a sip of water or toweling off for 30–60 seconds, just to give your ears a rest from noise. It also never hurts to find a place in class as far away from any speakers as possible, to limit your noise exposure.

4. Be an advocate for healthy hearing

If you find out your gym is exceeding safe noise levels, why not let your instructor or the gym manager know? If it’s too loud for you, you are likely not the only one.

Hearing concerns? See a hearing care professional

If you ever get to the point where you experience a change in your hearing, such as ringing or a "fullness" in your ears that lasts over 24 hours, see a licensed hearing care professional.

They can test your hearing to determine if you have NIHL (or any other type of hearing loss) and walk you through your options for treatment. And if you choose to explore hearing protection, hearing care professionals are key to helping you find the right devices for your needs.

Find a local hearing care professional by typing your zip code in here.

Taking steps to protect your hearing at the gym can be a game-changer when it comes to maintaining your overall wellness. (And make your workouts more enjoyable, too.)

Here’s to healthy moving and hearing in 2024!

Want to learn more about your health in the new year? Give Chicagoland Hearing a call. We’re here to help!