Is the Music Loud or Am I Just Getting Old?

When I took my first spinning class here, I noticed that the music seemed unusually loud. The instructors don’t use mics, so you can hardly hear a word they say during the class. Of course that doesn’t matter much for me, given my limited understanding of the language.

I think that the loud music is beginning to have an effect on my ears. They are actually starting to hurt during class. The level of the music is pretty unbelievable. Last week, the volume was already very high and in the middle of the song, the instructor turned it up even more. You could only see her mouth move when she talked.

It’s not just our gym. We’ve witnessed the same scenario at other gyms in the city. I can’t quite figure out why everyone likes it so loud. I admit it is nice to have the music pumping during class and keeping cadence to the beat, but this is excessive.

My first thought when I experienced it was – this would not go over well at all in the U.S. When I instructed classes, participants were adamant about expressing their opinions regarding the music. If it was too loud it would not fly.

Then of course there is the health and safety aspect. It is so dangerous to our hearing to listen to the music at such loud levels. I find it interesting that this safety rule-of-thumb hasn’t reached Brazil, especially at a place focused on health.

I’m considering wearing earplugs to class because I do love spinning. With no elliptical trainers down here, it is my only option for a really intense cardio workout. So if my blond hair doesn’t already draw attention, I’m sure walking in with bright orange plugs in my ear will bring a few questions. However, I do want to go back to the U.S. with my hearing still intact.