fitness classes may not be your only source
of exposure. If you do anything where the
noise level exceeds 85 dB (e.g. work a
second job, use power tools, visit nightclubs,
or even attend fitness classes yourself), then
your total noise exposure will be even higher
and your risk of hearing damage increases.
There’s some troubling new evidence
that noise-related hearing damage could
have far-reaching impacts on our health and
wellbeing, and at a younger age than first
thought. Researchers have discovered that
noise exposure (at the typical noise levels
found in fitness classes) damages the neural
connections which transmit sound from
the ear to the brain – making it hard to hear,
especially in noisy places like cafes, bars
and restaurants. You might not notice it at
first – and you won’t yet need a hearing aid
– but damage has occurred. Often the first
sign is when people find it hard to hear and
participate in conversations. This can make
socialising frustrating and tiring, causing some
people to withdraw from social situations.
Social withdrawal can lead to isolation which,
in turn, can lead to early cognitive decline,
something we all want to avoid!
You might think that damaging your
hearing or experiencing some hearing loss
isn’t such a big deal. After all, most of us will
suffer some sort of hearing loss by the time
we reach 70 – and that’s ages away, right?
Besides, if it does happen you can always get
a hearing aid – surely that fixes everything?
But it’s not that simple. Even though agerelated hearing loss is common, we know
that many people who are exposed to noise
throughout their working lives end up with
hearing loss that is more severe and/or starts
earlier than it would otherwise. And despite
huge advances in hearing technology there is
no device that will fix or restore your hearing
in the way, say, that glasses ‘fix’ many vision
difficulties. The best solution is prevention
– decreasing your noise exposure and thus
minimising your risk.
The good news is that turning down the
volume could benefit more than your ears –
it may also help your business. In our study
we asked clients to nominate their preferred
noise level. On a scale of 1-7, the clients
chose ‘5’ (which equates to about 70 per
cent of maximum volume) while instructors
preferred a level of ‘6 out of 7’ (about 85
per cent). So, if you turn the volume down
a little – say two or three dB, you’ll not only
be protecting your hearing, you’ll be meeting
the needs of your clients to boot.
But isn’t loud music a great motivator?
Our research suggests that most instructors
(around 85 per cent) believe that loud music
is motivating, but not all clients agree.
Around 30 per cent of clients told us that
they considered loud music to be stressful,
or have no effect at all. In fact, research from
physiology labs suggests that increasing the
tempo, not the volume, is the best way to get
your class moving.
Figure 1. Noise Levels in Fitness Classes: Sydney and Newcastle:
1997-1998 and 2009-2011
95
1997 - 1998
2009 - 2011
Noise Level (dB)
90
85
80
75
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NETWORK SPRING 2014 | 27