Are You a Hearing Aid User with an Active Lifestyle? Here are some Tips for Keeping Your Hearing Aids and Hearing Health in Shape.

Exercise is an important part of maintaining your overall health. If you’re a hearing aid user who practices physical exercises regularly, it’s advised that you wear your devices during workout sessions.

3 Reasons why Hearing Aids should be used during Exercise Routines

1. Communication becomes easier: If you participate with a sports team, communication with fellow players is vital to efficiently work together. Whether you are going to the gym or practicing yoga outside at a park, the ability to hear will make it easier to talk to friends or hear your instructor. 
2. Safety concerns: Your safety could be at risk if you can’t hear. If you bike, walk, or jog outdoors and can’t hear a siren from an emergency vehicle, that can put you and the people in the vehicle in danger. 
3. Listen to music or a podcast: It’s easier to get through a tough workout while listening to your favorite music or podcast. Just about every digital hearing aid features Bluetooth®, so streaming your music and podcasts is easy.       

Be prepared by bringing Hearing Aid Gear during Workouts

To get the most out of your workout, reduce distractions and feel confident while wearing your hearing aids by being prepared. Here’s a suggestion of supplies you should keep with you. 

• Remote microphone - If you struggle to hear your instructor during a fitness class, ask if they could wear a remote microphone that transfers sound directly to your hearing aids.
• Sweatbands for hearing aids - If you sweat a lot and are concerned about getting your hearing aids too wet have some hearing aid sweatbands on hand. These sweatbands are an inexpensive and easy way to protect your hearing aids. Remember, hearing aids are an investment so it’s important to protect them as much as possible. 
• Skull caps - These are securely-fitted caps that are available in many different sizes, materials, and colors; some are designed for sports and feature fabric that keeps your head cool, while absorbing sweat.   
• Hearing aid clip - Based on the style of your hearing aids, a hearing aid clip can help prevent losing your hearing aid if it falls out of your ear. Oticon has a hearing aid clip called SafeLine. It’s lightweight, connects to one end of your hearing aid, and can be clipped onto your clothes with the other end. 
• Puffer - A hearing aid puffer lightly blows air through the hearing aids, their tubing, and molds to clear them of any debris. Sweat can also be dried using a puffer tool, or you may use a drying box, or even place the moist hearing aids in dry, uncooked rice to soak up the moisture. 
• Antimicrobial wipes - Disinfectant wipes are simple to toss into your gym bag and are convenient to use for cleaning when you aren’t at home. Stop by at one of our Pure Sound office locations and pick up professional-strength hearing aid cleaning wipes.       
• Extra batteries - Don’t forget to bring extra batteries in case your hearing aids run out of power or make sure you fully charge your hearing aids overnight if you wear rechargeable hearing aids.

How to take care of Your Hearing Aids after Your Workout

If you frequently work out, be cautious about wear and tear. This will help your hearing aids last longer, after each workout session. 

• Clean and examine your hearing aids regularly. When using a wax pick, carefully remove earwax and debris. Push out moisture from the tubing with a puffer and keep it in a dryer box overnight. You can get cleaning tools and dryer boxes from our Pure Sound office locations.
• Get a deep cleaning from a professional hearing aid provider.
  

Keep up an Active Lifestyle

According to the Hear the World Foundation, 70 percent of hearing aid users have said that they wear their hearing aids while participating in sports and did not experience any problems. About 37 percent of users said they enjoy participating in sports more when wearing them. So if you aren’t already wearing hearing aids while playing sports, try it out. 

Be aware of Dangerous Noise Levels in the Gym

Gyms are well-known for blasting music too loudly during workout sessions. This can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus. If you lift very heavy weights, while holding your breath, this can also cause hearing loss and tinnitus. It’s important to protect your ears from lesser-known risks to hearing health. Special settings can be programmed into your hearing aids for all sorts of environments, like gyms.

​Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing and talk to one of our hearing instrument specialists about programming a customized setting in your hearing aids before your next visit to the gym, or workout session from home.

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