Running With Headphones

Should you run with headphones? Check out our guide

Motivation and taking your mind off the miles are two of the reasons why so many runners use headphones while they run. For many the beat helps push them on and for others they take the time to listen to podcasts while they're running. Whatever it is you it seems clear that more often than not runners have headphones in when they're pounding the miles. Are you a headphones in or headphones out runner?

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What are the options?

More than 60% of runners run with headphones. Many use wireless earbuds or similar, but others stick to those that are attached to their phone via leads to prevent losing them while running. The options are endless. When it comes to listening options many have their own playlists, or use playlists compiled by others, sometimes specifically for runners, others not so. More often than not the playlists are based on a specific beat, that helps with cadence and with motivation. Some runners instead go with a playlist that's unrelated to a specific beat and is aimed at maintaining their enthusiasm during a training run or event.

More are now listening to podcasts as an alternative. The growth in podcasts over the last five years has been huge and the options are significant. They cover a vast range of subjects in detail and along with audiobooks are a great way of learning and of focusing on an alternative subject while the run or event is happening. Many use headphones to divert attention away from the pain and the spoken word can do that as well as music.

Listening to music - the positives

• Lowers your perceived rate of exertion

  
  

There's no doubt that music, at least certain music, can impact what's known as the perceived rate of exertion. That's how hard your running actually feels. So the lower the rate the quicker you'll probably run. Certain songs will improve your performance and especially on shorter workouts will help you perform better. It just doesn't feel as tough when you're listening to music that gives you a lift.

• Can improve breathing pace

  
  

It has also been illustrated that your breathing pace can improve, when you’re listening to a certain song or group of songs, if they have a certain beat. This is thanks to sound processing that begins in the brainstem and which controls the rate of your heartbeat and respiration. There are numerous playlists on the likes of Spotify designed especially for runners. The songs will have a consistent beat, but one that ensures that it doesn't increase the rate of breathing too much.Too big an increase could lead to excessive pace that causes exhaustion or injury.

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• Can relieve boredom

  
  

The longer the run, the more time you have to keep your mind occupied. Some runners use the time to work through issues they may have at work or at home or just enjoy where they're running, but others use music to pass the time and to keep them motivated. The quicker you get bored the more of a role music can play. If this is the case then it's important to either use existing playlists or put together your own and be prepared.

The impact of a good song?

Listening to music - the negatives

• Can impact on your safety

  
  

Listening to music can impact on your safety, especially if both headphones are in and the music is loud. You won't be able to hear traffic as well and you won't hear other warning noises like shouts from cyclists or other pedestrians. You will be far less aware of potential dangers as you're relying on sight only. This is a serious issue, both in training and on race day, which is why they are banned at some events.

• Impacts on body feedback

  
  

It's very hard to absorb feedback from harder sessions if you're wearing headphones. If you're working on a new aspect of your training like hills, reps or fartlek, it is very important to listen to your body. How does your breathing sound, how's your heart rate? Music will distract you from recognising and understanding these changes.

• Can interfere with normal cadence

  
  

Running cadence is the number of steps per minute a person takes during a run and keeping this steady throughout a run is really important. If you're listening to music it is very likely that your cadence will be negatively impacted, either because it slows too much or that it quickens more than it should. Either can happen if the beat of the song being listened to changes too much. There is potential to overstride if the beat drops or running too fast if the beat is excessive. Both could lead to an injury.

• Does not build mental strength

  
  

Being prepared physically is one aspect of running longer distances. Another is to be prepared mentally and listening to music may impact on the mental aspect. Music masks the mental challenges of grinding out a long distance event and you may question why you need to, but there may be occasions when you need to.

• Can't be at one with your environment

  
  

One reason why it's really important to make sure you have a great portfolio of running routes is that the environment that you run in should inspire your running and motivate you to run more. If you are listening to music you may benefit from the visual impact of the scenery, but you won't benefit from any of its sounds.

• Can't get away from it all

  
  

For many, the time spent running is precious 'me time'. It's time spent thinking and being creative or dealing with problems. Many runners never get the opportunity to experience it because they are always listening to music and assume that without music a run will become more boring as time progresses. A free mind can also be a factor in the 'runner's high', which those who listen to music are unlikely to experience.

What are the alternatives?

If you absolutely have to listen to headphones during training what can you do to mitigate some of the negatives, especially the safety concerns? Options include keeping the volume to a reasonable level, only running with one headphone out, not running with them where the traffic is heavy and of course being aware of what's going on around you. Or try these.

• Listen to podcasts

  
  

If you're not. podcast listener then have a look at them as an option for your runs. Agreed there is no beat to keep your motivation going but in terms of being a distraction they are ideal. And they can last a while, with a series potentially lasting as long if not longer than a marathon. There are some really bad ones out there and some really good ones, so make sure you listen to snippets before you make the choices for your run. There are a number of providers like Spotify and you can download multiple episodes in advance.

Check out our free podcasts here. If you're a member don't forget your series of Members Only podcasts. To become a member head here.

Podcasts can seriously relieve boredom

• Listen before you leave home

  
  

If you can't run without motivation from music then try listening to it before you leave home, but not actually on the run itself. It can stimulate your nervous system, improve your emotional state, and better prepare you for a race than not listening to music. Or just try music during the warm up phase of a run, rather than for the full duration. Watch any professional warming up and you'll see most of them are listening to music, which of course thy aren't allowed to do in the race itself. If it works for them why can't it work for you.

• Use bone conduction tech

  
  

Alternatively try bone conduction headphones as opposed to the traditional ear phones. Bone-conduction earphones transmit sound vibrations along your cheekbone into your auditory nerves, bypassing the eardrum in the process. The sound directly reaches your cochlea through the bone. Importantly that allows ambient noise so you can listen to music and hear what’s going on around you. This alleviates the safety concern, which is such an issue during events and on your general training runs. Yes, this means spending money on new kit, but you can't put a price on safety.

It's worth investing in bone conduction headphones if you can't do without your music

• Or just turn it off for a while?

  
  

During your runs just try and run for a while with no noise and see how it feels. It might have been a few weeks or months since you've done it and you may now feel more comfortable doing so. Maybe wait until a really scenic part of your run and soak in the view. Save the headphones for the treadmill for the next few runs.

Headphones and events

Sport governing bodies and race directors don't like headphones in events and for good reason. It can be really difficult to communicate with runners if they're listening to loud music and it can be difficult for runners to hear emergency vehicles. Occasionally headphones are banned or only bone conductor headphones are allowed so check before you run. If you're running a triathlon it's very likely headphones will be banned.

You'll miss a lot of the fun and excitement of being in an event if you're wearing headphones, so think about only using them in training if you need do and leave them at home on race day.

Check out our post on using headphones in events.

Can you cope without them?

If music is banned at your next event, or you lose one of your ear buds, or your phone dies, could you cope? Have you become so used to using headphones when you run that this could be an issue? Why not mix it up for the next three or four weeks? Try using headphones one day and then not the next and see how you feel.

You need to be prepared for a run without music. It might happen one day.