Caring for your hearing aids involves gentle handling and regular drying, which might make it seem odd to wear them during exercise. However, with proper maintenance, hearing aids can enhance your workout experience and improve your safety.
Exercising with Hearing Aids
There are several reasons you should consider wearing your hearing aids during exercise. Depending on your chosen workout, they can improve your performance as a team player and serve as a motivation tool to maximize your workout benefits.
Reasons to wear them:
- Personal safety: Gyms can be noisy, crowded and distracting, with heavy equipment that requires careful handling. Your hearing aids can help you stay aware of your surroundings and alert you to potential dangers. However, the loud music often played in gyms can harm your hearing over time due to prolonged exposure to high volume. Discussing appropriate settings with your hearing specialist can help balance your hearing ability and protect you from noise exposure. If you prefer outdoor workouts like running or walking, your hearing aids can help you avoid traffic and other hazards.
- Enhanced communication: If you’re into team sports, communicating effectively with your teammates is crucial. Without your hearing aids, it could be challenging to hear over the background noise of other activities. Your hearing aids can also help you follow the instructor’s commands during workout classes, making exercising a more social activity.
- Music enjoyment: Many people love listening to music while working out. Most hearing aids come with Bluetooth® technology that lets you stream your favorite tunes directly through your hearing aids.
Remember to take care of your hearing aids during and after any physical activity, such as walks at Perrin Family Park, to extend their effectiveness and lifespan. Daily cleaning of your hearing aids is recommended, regardless of your level of physical activity. You may have received a cleaning kit from your doctor when you bought your hearing aids, or you can buy one online.
It’s also important to dry your hearing aids after any situation where they might have gotten wet, including workouts. Moisture can damage the internal components of the hearing aids, causing them to stop working.
While exercising, you might find it helpful to use a hearing aid clip. These devices attach to your hearing aid at one end and clip to your clothing at the other, preventing your hearing aid from getting lost if it falls out during physical activity.
If you have any questions about hearing loss or want to schedule a hearing test, please contact Heuser Hearing Institute.