| dc.description.abstract | Fitness instructors routinely use high music volumes which may be harmful to hearing. This study assessed noise levels during 35 low-intensity and 65 high-intensity fitness classes in 1997-98 and 2009-11. Questionnaires examined instructors’ and clients’ preferred music volumes and whether they found loud music ‘stressful’ or ‘motivating’. Noise levels in 1997-98 and 2009-11 were similar, frequently exceeding 90 dB(A). Although noise levels in low-intensity classes dropped from 88.9 to 85.6 dB(A), they remained high for high-intensity classes, averaging 93.1 dB(A). In 2009-11 instructors preferred significantly higher volumes than clients for high-intensity classes. In both time periods, about 85% of instructors found loud music motivating, whereas about one-fifth of clients found it stressful. The results suggest that noise exposure from fitness classes, particularly high-intensity classes, continues to pose a potential risk to hearing. | en_US |
