If you are interested in running, you must have noticed that some people are listening to music all the time while they are running, while others don’t. For some people, music is great for motivation, while others see it as a distraction. If you are still not sure which group you should join this article is for you.
From the aspect of science, it is good to listen to music while running, but on the other side, some major running competitions have banned the use of headphones while running. Now let’s take a closer look at the good and bad sides of running while listening to music but at the end it’s important to enjoy your running no matter whether you are listening to music or not.
Pros of running with music
Science has proven that listening to music while running has many benefits. For example:
-
It makes you feel better
It has been proven that music can quickly get you in the right mood for running. Music simply makes you feel more excited and happier while reducing fatigue and stress at the same time.
-
Eases discomfort
According to some studies, your body actually feels like it’s not working that hard when you are listening to your favorite songs. It basically eases the discomfort you feel and makes you run faster and get in the zone. And since you are already doing something hard, you have all the right to make things easier for you, so why not do that with music.
-
Improves Performance
Running without and then with music can make a difference in your running performance. The right music will help you keep your tempo. Of course, there are people which will claim that they are more aware of their body without music, studies have shown that you can perform better if the music matches your tempo. This is one reason why you should choose your music wisely.
-
Boosts motivation
There are days when we simply don’t want to do anything, not to mention to go running. Well, when these days come music can give you a little motivation boost and make you go running. All it takes is to go out and start running, after that everything is easier.
The Cons of running with music
-
It affects your safety
There is one big concern connected with running with music and that is – safety. It can be a bit dangerous since you won’t be able to hear a car approaching or people trying to warn you about something. However, if you are determined to keep listening to your favorite music, it is worth thinking about bone conduction headphones. These headphones make it possible to enjoy your music and be aware of your surroundings all the time because they don’t block your ears.
If you are running in a place where there are lots of people and traffic, it would be best to stop listening to your music and take off your headphones or ear buds. It is important to be aware of what’s happening around you. The same applies if you are running too early or late at night. It’s always better to be aware of your surroundings.
-
Loud music is a big No-No
We feel that we don’t actually have to tell you that you have to listen to your music to normal levels. A great way to tell whether your music is too loud is that if you can hear the people around you it’s fine. On the other side, the people around you won’t hear your music if you keep it at normal levels.
-
We depend too much on music
You don’t want to be too dependent of your music when running. The main reason for this is that some running events have banned the use of portable devices, so you will definitely underperform if you have used to run with music only. It is definitely better to be aware of your pace race on your own, and not let the music dictate it.
-
We need time for ourselves
We have become too much obsessed with technology these days, so why even taking your smartphone and earbuds while running. It should be the time just for you, your own time for peace and relaxation. And to be honest, the time to be alone with your thoughts.
Now, if you have decided to run while listening to music you need to decide whether you are going to use headphones or earbuds. Our personal recommendation are earbuds so let’s take a look at how to choose the best ones for you.
How to choose earbuds for running?
One of the common questions for most people when they start running and listening to music is how to choose the best earbuds. This is the reason why we have made a short checklist to go through so take a look at it.
-
Choose the ones that won’t fall off
All the other qualities of your brand-new earbuds, like excellent sound and cool design will be irrelevant if they constantly fall off while you are running. You can’t blame the designers and producers for that. How well they will fit greatly depends on the size and shape of your ears. Some companies offer ear tips of different size just to make sure you can find the one that fits you best.
-
Choose the ones with good IPX rating
Sweat and rain are your worst enemies when it comes to your earbuds functionality and durability. Of course, you aren’t going to use them for swimming so you don’t have to invest in water-proof ones, but at least they have to be sweat-proof. Their IPX rating will give you more details about their resistance to sweat and water so here is a recommended reading from Audio Reputation about the IPX rating system and what the numbers behind it mean.
-
Choose one offering noise isolation
Most people like to enter their own world while running. Earbuds with good noise isolation will help you get rid of the sounds around you. You should also pay attention to their sensitivity and frequency so anything between 20Hz – 20KHz is ideal for us.
-
Choose the ones that don’t limit your movements
One of the trends lately are wireless earbuds. Having these on allow you to move freely and you don’t have to worry whether you will accidentally break them.
-
Choose the ones you can make calls with
These days we are so busy and we can hardly imagine having some time for ourselves. This also applies to running. We have to be available all the time so having earbuds you can use for phone calls is important.
-
Choose the ones with great design
The companies in this industry do their best to make the earbuds for running to be comfortable, to fit well and to look great. Since you are going to spend some of your hard-earned money you have the right to buy the ones that look really cool on top of everything else.
