Hearing loss can be challenging and something that makes people retreat into their homes. But if you want to manage the condition successfully, it can be helpful to get out more, including exercising regularly.
This topic doesn’t get covered much, so we thought it’d be a good idea to run through it here. The following reasons are why exercise should be a central part of your life, even if you have hearing loss:
Community Fitness Is Still Accessible
First, hearing loss shouldn’t stop you from exercising because most community-based classes and activities are still accessible. These cater to all sorts of people with disabilities, allowing you to make connections without feeling excluded from the group.
All you need to do is look for inclusive fitness classes. These usually have an instructor on the loudspeaker or, in rarer cases, sign language experts who can guide you through what you need to do visually.
Technology Is Helping
At the same time, technology is helping. Using hearing aids during exercise is now a common practice, due to advances in the underlying devices.
Previously, behind-the-ear devices were okay for everyday life, but they weren’t ideal for exercise because of their external components. During sports, they could become damaged.
Now, though, hearing aid technology is small enough to fit in the ear canal. This means that there are no external parts that could get damaged or knocked.
Furthermore, many of these devices can link to exercise apps and technologies, like Strava and Nike Training Club. These can pipe instructions directly to speaker-phones or earbuds for more immersive and guided exercise.
Better Mental Well-Being And Overall Health
Exercising regularly can also improve cardiovascular health and strengthen muscles, which, in turn, release endorphins and lead to less depression. The fact that this is possible is critical for hearing loss patients, since they are considerably more likely to develop conditions like depression.
Hearing loss often leads to isolation, which can take its toll on some individuals’ mental health. However, exercise is often social and naturally makes you feel better.
Furthermore, many forms of exercise don’t rely on auditory cues. Walking and running are both fun, even if you’re head of hearing.
Many Non-Auditory Workouts Are Available
You can work out while listening to your headphones, but that’s not always what you have to do. Many workouts don’t require any sound at all, allowing you to focus on physical movements instead.
If you want to switch to visual displays, that can work too, on today’s modern devices. Small changes can have a profound effect.
Adapting Exercise To Your Comfort Zone Is Easy
Finally, hearing loss shouldn’t stop you from exercising because you can work out in your comfort zone. The idea here is to make you feel more confident and improve the overall experience.
Home workouts are the best for this. They help you avoid the noisy gym and get down to business quickly. Parks and trails are ideal, since they often have signage to help visitors who are hard of hearing.
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