Are Group Fitness Classes Bad for Your Hearing? Here's What Audiologists Say
Group classes can make working out fun. But are they taking a toll on your hearing? Here's what you need to know.
Group fitness classes surged in popularity over the past decade. Aside from a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic, classes like SoulCycle and OrangeTheory have taken off as more Americans have focused on their health and wellness.
Yet, those who have rushed full-speed into these popular classes may be unintentionally overlooking a critical component of their overall well-being: their hearing. As group fitness instructors seek to motivate class participants, they pump up the jams — so much so they may not even realize that they're putting everyone's hearing at risk.
Here's what hearing experts have to say about how to keep your hearing fit while you work your body.
Read more: The Best Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids to Try in 2024
The (not so) hidden health risk of group fitness classes
If there's one thing that participants in spin classes or other group fitness workouts can agree on, it's that they're loud. A simple Google search reveals endless group discussions and articles with attendees complaining about the volume of the music in these group sessions.
As it turns out, they're not imagining things. Research shows that music volume in such classes often exceeds 98 decibels, well above the 85-decibel threshold recommended by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). More than 15 to 30 minutes of steady exposure at that volume may result in hearing damage.
That doesn't mean you're guaranteed to experience hearing loss by attending these classes, but it does highlight the risks involved.
"Everybody experiences different consequences to noise exposure," says Natalie Calderon, Au.D., an audiologist at HearUSA, one of America's largest hearing care retailers. "Some people, you know, they can shoot firearms and they barely have any noise-induced hearing loss, and you have one person who happened to be under the fireworks show and they have significant noise exposure damage."
To top it off, spin class isn't the only place where you might experience dangerous noise exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 22 million workers face potentially damaging noise at work each year, and many people attend loud concerts or pop their earbuds in for other workouts.
"It's just another addition to the noise people are around every day," says Brian Taylor, Au.D., senior director of audiology at Signia, a major hearing aid brand. "They don't realize it, but if they're listening to music with earbuds for several hours a day and then they compound it by going to this class, that just adds to the risk."
The health threats of hearing loss
Experts like Calderon and Taylor aren't trying to scare people away from classes like OrangeTheory or SoulCycle, but they do want them to be aware of the dangers. So, they stress that significant hearing loss represents a serious threat to your overall health.
"There are all kinds of data that show that as people lose their hearing, there's a psychological and emotional, social component to it," Taylor says.
He adds that the onset of hearing impairment can cause people to feel isolated, which in turn leads to frustration and depression. That's why, as he puts it, "hearing is such an integral part of your well-being."
Tips to protect your hearing during a group fitness class
For most people, such hearing loss is largely preventable. And, as Taylor and Calderon agree, if you attend group fitness classes regularly — and especially if you teach them — it's essential that you take measures to protect your hearing. Here are five steps you can take to reduce your risk of hearing loss in noisy fitness classes.
Ask instructors to turn down the volume
The first step may seem a little too obvious, but many class participants are hesitant to take it: Ask the instructor to turn the music down a little. Although some instructors favor louder music because they think it will help boost exercise intensity, the research doesn't support this assumption.
One University of Maryland Study revealed that a simple 2 to 3-decibel reduction in one class setting did not affect perceived workout intensity. Even that small of a reduction may be enough to bring up to stretch your time limit for exposure beyond the length of the class.
Use ear protection
If your instructor insists on blasting the workout tunes, you can still participate in the class, but you should wear ear protection. You don't have to resort to foam earplugs that muffle everything and easily pop out while you work out, either.
Taylor recommends using earplugs that are designed for musicians, which dampen dangerous sound levels without diminishing your ability to hear high frequencies clearly. Although you can spend hundreds to have these custom-made, you can get decent universal pairs for around $20. Even these basic pairs will stay in your ears better than foam earplugs.
If you teach group fitness classes, your threshold for hearing damage is lower because you're exposed to loud music for much longer. As a result, Taylor recommends wearing these all the time, even when the music doesn't seem too loud.
Limit your exposure
Calderon also recommends being proactive to reduce your total exposure time during a class and over the course of a day or week. You can always step out for a five-minute water break to give your ears a rest. Likewise, consider varying your workout routine so that you don't attend high-volume workout sessions as frequently.
Be careful with your personal headphones
Group fitness classes aren't the only type of workout that presents a risk to your hearing. Many gym-goers pop in their earbuds and crank up their personal playlists to rev up their own workout routines. With treadmills buzzing and TVs blaring, you might be tempted to bump it up just one more notch.
That may not be the best move. According to Calderon, you should limit your headphone volume to 60% of the maximum limit for a one-hour workout.
Get your hearing checked
Finally, it's important to be proactive about your hearing health. If you notice any ringing in your ears or you feel like you need to turn up the volume on your car radio louder than usual, it's a good idea to get your hearing checked. However, Taylor also notes that you may not be the most reliable judge of your hearing. That's why it's important to pay attention if people around you point out that you're not hearing as well.
"[Friends and family] almost always notice it before the person [experiencing hearing loss] does," he says. "It happens so gradually that most people don't notice it for the first several years."
Hearing tests are usually easy to get, even if you're uninsured. Companies like HearUSA offer complimentary screenings, and you can book appointments online.
Take care of your whole body
There's a lot of power in group fitness classes, and they can do a world of good in keeping you motivated and improving your fitness. Nonetheless, your hearing is a key component of your overall well-being, and it's important to protect your ears when the workouts get loud.
If you do discover that you've had some hearing loss, don't fret. By taking the above steps, you can prevent further damage. Plus, Calderon and Taylor note that today's hearing aids are far more discreet than older models, with various sizes and rechargeable options available. You can still socialize and connect with others — in your group classes and elsewhere — without being self-conscious about wearing a hearing device.