Can a workout in the gym ruin your hearing?

Anyone who has ever walked into a gym or training studio knows that loud music is part of the business, even a part that helps us move, but now it turns out that it can be very harmful to us over time.

Here are all the details

Walla!

health

24/02/2022

Thursday, 24 February 2022, 06:41 Updated: 09:19

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There is a lot of noise in gyms.

From the devices themselves, from the trainees, from the music in the background, or from the music that the trainees hear in the headphones and amplify greatly to overcome the external noises.

In many group classes (such as spinning, aerobics or Zumba) high-volume music is even used to stimulate the trainees.

How high?

The volume of music in group classes of this type averages 93 decibels.

The problem - exposure to such intensity for 60 minutes can impair hearing.

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A 2019 study conducted at Hadassah College in Jerusalem found that the average noise level in gyms was 95 decibels, and an online survey found that 41 percent of trainees were aware that the volume of music was too high, but only 27 percent were interested in lowering the volume.

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Another study examined the hearing thresholds (at 1000-6000 Hz) of trainees before and after a Zumba class.

The average noise intensity throughout the class was 91 decibels, and 13 of the 16 subjects were found to have a deviation (hearing loss) of 10 decibels or more in the hearing thresholds in one or both ears, at least in one of the frequencies tested.

In addition, half of the subjects reported ringing in the ears and / or feelings of numbness in the ears following the lesson.

Despite all this, only one respondent said she was willing to practice against a background of weaker music.

Temporary decline, but alarming

Studies have shown that during exercise there is a higher risk of hearing loss compared to exposure to the same amount of noise at rest.

The explanations are related to an increase in metabolic activity, changes in blood flow, body temperature and more.

This phenomenon - called Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS) describes a negative change in hearing thresholds caused by exposure to loud noise.

It will also work at a lower volume.

Spinning training (Photo: Giphy)

In cases of TTS one usually feels that the speech and all the surrounding sounds sound weak - it is difficult to hear sounds that are at low volume;

The speech sounded muffled;

There is a feeling of opacity / pressure in the ears and / or tinnitus (wheezing in the ears).

These sensations usually go away within 24 hours, but can last for several days, after which the hearing thresholds return to normal.

However, recurrent TTS events can make the temporary hearing loss a permanent hearing loss.

In the United States the maximum permissible volume of music in gyms is 85 decibels, and the instructor's voice should not be louder than 95 decibels (the instructor should speak at least 10 decibels above the volume of the music to be understood by the trainees).

In Israel, too, the maximum volume of music allowed in gyms according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection is 85 decibels.

It is recommended to use soundproof headphones.

Woman with headphones (Photo: Giphy)

If you feel that the music is too loud, you can use earplugs, stand away from the speakers (if possible) and try to ask the instructors to turn down the volume of the music.

For those who want to hear their music in the gym it is recommended to use soundproof headphones (to save the amplification designed to overcome the volume of the ambient noise).

"People go to the gym with the intention of maintaining their physical and mental health, but most are unaware that while they are improving their fitness, their hearing may be impaired," said Mira Berlin, a communication clinician at Tradis Gat. Our life, about our ability to be in touch with other people, and even about our cognitive ability in old age.

So do not be ashamed to show your coaches and instructors this article, demand to lower the volume of the music and enjoy a healthy mind in a healthy body over time. "

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