User:Huba1080/sandbox

Potential for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss During Exercise
One of the risks of exercise is the potential for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to noise exposure. When individuals are exposed to noise upwards of 80-85dB for extended periods of time, they begin to risk damage to their hearing. When going to the gym, many people choose to listen to music with a personal listening device. People often want to listen to music that is upbeat or fast in order to motivate themselves during their workouts. While many gyms provide background music, many people may still prefer to bring their own music, finding it more customizable and preferable. The music itself is not necessarily harmful, but individuals choosing to bring their own music to the gym will often have to turn it up loud enough to be heard over the pre-existing gym noise or music already present, which increases the likelihood that they will listen at an unsafe volume. It is likely that an individual will listen to their music more loudly in a gym, as opposed to the level they might set it at while sitting in a quiet room.

Even without engaging in personal music, the existing music at a gym may be dangerously loud. Places with loud noise such as factories have laws governing how much noise their workers may be safely exposed to, but no such regulations exist for music in gyms, even though noise levels in gyms often exceed what is considered safe. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) indicates there is a daily amount of noise that is "safe" to listen to, referred to as the noise dose. When an individual is exposed to loud sound or noise at certain high levels, or for a certain amount of time, they may exceed their recommended daily noise dose. Aerobic or dance classes also provide excess levels of sound, with the individuals teaching these sorts of classes especially at risk for NIHL because of both the levels of music and the duration they listen at those levels. It is not uncommon for a fitness class to exceed 90dBA of noise exposure for an hour of class--a 2014 study found that the average noise level in a class was in a fitness 93 dBA.