Finally! Happy Spring day! With Spring finally being here I thought to chat a bit about exercise and how beneficial it is, not only for our physical and mental health but for our hearing health as well.
A recent study, conducted by the University of Florida (published in the Journal of Neuroscience), shows that exercise can prevent, or at least significantly slow down, age related hearing loss. These researchers had a look at the auditory system of mice, comparing mice who exercised with those who didn’t, while active mice had healthy hearing, the mice who didn’t exercise had a lot more damage to their hearing structures.
Another study (conducted at the John Hopkins University), found that regular exercise can prevent hearing loss! Seniors who were active around 3 hours a week presented with lower rates of hearing loss than seniors who didn’t exercise at all. This means that 25 minutes of physical activity a day can improve your hearing health.
So.... How exactly does exercise improve our hearing?
As we age, inflammation can damage hair and nerve cells, this leads to our ears not working well, or getting enough oxygen. When we exercise, our bodies are protected against age-related inflammation and cardiovascular health is improved, this keeps blood circulating throughout our bodies and ears!
So, no more excuses!
All exercise is good exercise, whether it’s taking a few walks a week, taking the dog to the park, gardening, housework, playing in the yard with your grandchildren, swimming, or hitting the gym...the more active you are the healthier you will be and you ear and hearing health will thank you :)
