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Wireless headphones, portable sound quality, apple watch connectivity – there are a good few considerations for music and running, let’s break them down
Think of your favourite track for a second. Does it draw your focus to a point where nothing else interferes? Does it inspire you, give you energy or motivation?
If the answer is yes (and I presume it is, given that you’re reading this) then you’ll be pleased to know that you have plenty of choices here. Sure, some prefer wired headphones, perhaps due to the lack of losing potential, but others may look for newer alternatives that aid their runs in different ways. Wireless headphones, for example, can be great for forgetting that they’re even there, deeming the music an entirely passive affair. While some seem to enjoy the connectivity they have with their Apple watch, leaving their musical needs as smooth and swift as your running performance itself.
No matter your favoured approach, there are always new ways to enhance your running experience with audio.
Listen up!
Armbands
You may see bouncers outside clubs with plastic armbands carrying their licenses. While they, unfortunately, have to listen to the screams and musings of the drunk population, you can use similar devices to store your phone or music player in.
These plastic sleeves help to remove wire-oriented interference, keep your hands free (to use a water bottle for example) and safely store your device with no risk of rain or fall damage. Brilliant!
A few things to consider from WikiHow –
- Many phone armbands have holes or slots in the bottom where you can plug in headphones.
- If you don’t have an armband, you can also hold the phone in your hands, but it may be more likely to slip and fall during your run.
- If you don’t like using armbands or holding your phone, you may use a running belt to hold your belongings.
Bluetooth Headphones
Removing the need for wired headphones entirely, just like the advent of indoor treadmills versus outdoor running, Bluetooth headphones are a brilliant choice for convenience. They connect to your portable music devices without being physically connected at all. Ensuring they have a good battery life, ambient noise reduction (check out noise cancelling headphones), and stable positioning in your ear they should probably take precedence over wired headphones.
This again frees you up movement-wise but also helps mentally; imagine if dog leads were wireless – no more worrying about slipping out of hand, getting tangled up or snapping due to weakness – headphones are the same.
Connect your music device to wireless earbuds and think about how many songs you’ll be listening to without realising your buds are even there.
Conclusion
Beyond checking out products like runattitude sports bluetooth headphones, there are great variants when it comes to audio devices and running convenience. You need to ensure that a player has enough memory for enough songs, especially your favourite tunes (look out for watches with limited storage here) and that your choice of gear is based on safety, reliability and actually empowering your running routines – not retracting from them.
FAQs
Will my iTunes library only work with certain devices?
While you can download itunes on non-Apple devices it’s always worth checking what yours falls under. Search it first, it takes two seconds.
Top tip: amongst your favorite songs and favorite tunes add in some slower songs for when you need to lower your tempo; also to hear ambient noise is sometimes useful – like when you’re near traffic.
