What Goes Up Must Come Down: Volume in Group Fitness Classes and Healthy Hearing

Abstract

Group fitness classes provide an opportunity for class participants to meet their fitness goals. Good music is one reason why class participants attend a group fitness class, but there is little research that has documented music volume in a group fitness class. This mini-project collected measurements of noise levels from one fitness studio during December 2018 and January 2019. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) states that levels exceeding 105 dBA for a 1-hour duration can place a person at risk for hearing damage. It is anticipated that more than half of class participants and group fitness instructors are at risk for hearing damage using OSHA standards for a 1-hour group fitness class. Additionally, it is anticipated that less than half of class participants and group fitness instructors are aware of OSHA permissible noise exposure levels and that more than half of class participants and group fitness instructors believe, “The louder the music, the better the workout.” Lastly, when analyzing group fitness leadership styles, it is expected that less than half of group fitness instructors would modify their behavior if they understood the risk for hearing damage.