Exercising with hearing aids: Top ‘insider’ tips

Who isn’t working on their fitness these days, or at least thinking about the need to?

Whether you’re a regular exerciser, a committed gym junkie, or someone who prefers to potter in the garden or get your steps up with a bit of retail therapy - regular exercise is an important contributor to good health and wellbeing. It helps to keep us strong and healthy, is a great mood booster, and it can also be a great social activity.

For the more vigorous exercisers, we have some top tips from one of our own Connect Hearing team members, Renae. A Client Care Representative with Connect Hearing and a committed “gym-goer”, Renae shares her insider tips on how to use your hearing aids to get maximum enjoyment while exercising and also how to look after your devices while raising a sweat.

As someone who works with people living with hearing loss on a daily basis, Renae knows all too well the positive impact of hearing aids on individuals’ health and wellbeing – as she’s worn hearing aids for most of her life (since the age of seven).

They’ve given her the independence and confidence to pursue an active life, where she prioritises her fitness and wellbeing. She loves riding her bike, kayaking with her family and going to the gym.

The mental health benefits of exercise are huge, Renae says.

“Being outdoors, you get the wonderful benefits of sunshine and fresh air. I ride to work along a foreshore and it's just beautiful being close to the sea and being out among all the happy dogs and dog walkers. It's such a positive atmosphere.

“Exercising releases endorphins – which makes you feel great - and it also keeps you fit and healthy. I've also got a good immune system because I exercise and eat well, which just gives me so much more energy for life.”

Renae has asthma and credits physical exercise and physical fitness with helping her manage her condition without over-reliance on medication. “The fitter I've got the less I've had to rely on my medications,” she said.

As a keen, active exerciser and as someone who works in the industry supporting people with hearing loss, Renae has some great “insider tips” on how to use your hearing aids to get maximum enjoyment while exercising and also, importantly, how to take great care of your devices while you’re at it.

“Make hearing aids fit into your lifestyle, rather than fitting your lifestyle into hearing aids,” she says.

Renae has asthma and credits physical exercise and physical fitness with helping her manage her condition without over-reliance on medication. “The fitter I've got the less I've had to rely on my medications,” she said.

Renae’s first tip is to stay safe, and she cautions on the use of noise cancelling headphones.

For anyone walking, running or cycling near traffic, noise-cancelling headphones can be dangerous if they block out the surrounding sound. She’s seen first-hand the dangers of noise-cancelling headphones while out exercising.

“I ride my bike to work most days, and the number of times I've nearly had an accident because somebody's got their headphones on and they can't hear the ding of a bicycle bell or somebody yelling “watch out”, it's actually really scary.

“For people who exercise outside, it's really important to be able to hear your surroundings,” she said.

That’s why if you’re exercising while wearing hearing aids outside, it’s important to make sure you adjust them so you can still hear external sounds such as oncoming traffic.

“You can also use the smartphone app to adjust the balance between the streamed audio signal and the surrounding signal. You still actually maintain that awareness of the world around you, which is really important.” 

While you won’t be able to wear hearing aids while swimming, after you’ve got out of the pool or ocean it’s important to make sure your ears are completely dry before wearing your hearing aids again.

“With swimming, there's always a danger of external ear infection, which can be exacerbated by wearing hearing aids as well. So it's a good idea to keep your ears as dry as possible when you're swimming,” Renae says.

The easiest way to do this is by using custom-made silicon swimmers ear plugs, which are available at any Connect Hearing clinic.  

“They’re custom fit, so they're really comfortable. The clinician takes an impression of your ear in the same way as making an ear mould for hearing aids, and then they're made out of silicon to perfectly fit your ear.”

That’s why if you’re exercising while wearing hearing aids outside, it’s important to make sure you adjust them so you can still hear external sounds such as oncoming traffic.

“You can also use the smartphone app to adjust the balance between the streamed audio signal and the surrounding signal. You still actually maintain that awareness of the world around you, which is really important.” 

While hearing aids are designed to be resistant to water or moisture, if they get splashed with water - whether walking to the bus stop in the rain or paddling a kayak - they still need to be dried out.

You can dry out hearing aids in a few different ways: either by using a drying beaker with a desiccant capsule, or with an electronic plug-in drying kit. These accessories are often referred to as drying kits. Some hearing aid chargers also have a space for a desiccant capsule, so the hearing aid dries out while it charges.  

If  you’re ever in doubt or concerned about your hearing aids, you can always pop into one of our clinics and ask our team about what options are available to you. 

Renae’s view is that everyone should consider having insurance on their hearing aids – especially if they live a very active lifestyle. “My hearing aids are insured as specified valuables in my home and contents insurance,” she said.

Having them insured gives me peace of mind while I’m exercising, so if they do get damaged they’re covered (depending of course on the type of policy cover you have).

The most important message is to take simple, easy steps to stay as active as you can –and enjoy all the benefits that come with regular exercise.

Wearing hearing aids is no barrier to being a good exerciser. To the contrary, some of the streaming and audio features can actually enhance your exercise experience. And don’t forget to take good care of your devices while exercising, and keep them nice and dry too.

Since moving to Bluetooth enabled hearing aids, they’ve taken Renae’s gym routine to a whole new level – listening to music while exercising while still being connected to all of the sounds around her.

And of course, if you’re at all concerned about your hearing, and by chance are not a hearing aid wearer, don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss any concerns you may have.

Getting your hearing checked is the first step to better hearing, and our caring, experienced team are here to help. If you would like to find out more information about how we can help you find a hearing solution that is just right, contact us today on 1800 693 277 or you can contact us via email on info@connecthearing.com.au.