Don’t Wear Headphones when You Run

Wearing headphones and listening to music can make you run harder. It’s not just in your head. Studies have found that people do not feel like they’re working as hard at strenuous exercise while listening to music. It’s a distraction, it amps them up and they run harder and longer.

Even so, you should not wear headphones while running. Forget about your pace. Think about your safety.

Turning on the music can make you less aware of traffic around you. If you’re crossing a street and someone decides to turn left, you may never hear that car coming. You may not hear sirens, warning signals, audible walk signals and much more. All you hear is the music, so you rely entirely on your eyes to spot hazards.

Music can also really put you into your own world. Regardless of the volume, is it too much of a distraction? How much mental energy are you putting into listening to your favorite songs? You may be oblivious to everything but the pavement in front of you, and that puts you at risk. When you’re running around cars, you need to be paying attention to those cars at all times.

One thing to consider, if you must have music, try running with a Bluetooth speaker. Headphones cut out far more of the sound around you, while a speaker allows you to hear the music and still hear far more of the traffic.

Of course, if a driver does hit you, it’s not your fault just because you were listening to music. Make sure you know if you have a right to financial compensation.