Hearing Health for Active Aussies: Protecting Your Ears at the Beach, Gym, and Beyond

Living an active lifestyle is great for your overall health and wellbeing. Whether you’re swimming at the beach, working up a sweat at the gym, heading to a live sporting event, or spending the weekend tackling a DIY project, getting out and about keeps both the body and mind engaged.

But while we often think about protecting our skin from the sun or wearing the right equipment for exercise, hearing health can easily be forgotten.

Our ears are exposed to water, sweat, wind, and loud noise in many everyday environments. Over time, these exposures can contribute to irritation, infections, hearing difficulties, or noise-related hearing damage.

At Knox Audiology, we strive to help you enjoy an active lifestyle while looking after your hearing along the way. Here are some simple ways to protect your ears wherever the day takes you.

At the Beach or Pool: Be Smart About Water and Your Ears

Swimming is an Australian summer staple, but spending lots of time in the water can sometimes cause problems for your ears.

Water trapped in the ear canal can create a moist environment where bacteria can thrive, potentially contributing to swimmer’s ear, an infection of the outer ear canal. Symptoms can include pain, itching, redness, discharge, or a blocked sensation.

After swimming, gently dry the outside of your ears and allow water to drain naturally. Avoid inserting cotton buds or other objects into the ear canal to remove water, as these can push wax further into the ear or damage the delicate skin of the canal.

People who swim regularly or are particularly susceptible to ear problems may benefit from custom swim plugs. An audiologist can discuss whether hearing protection for swimming is appropriate for you.

If your ears remain blocked or uncomfortable after swimming, particularly if you experience pain or a noticeable change in hearing, it is worth having them professionally assessed.

At the Gym: Turn Down the Volume

For many of us, a good playlist is almost as important as a good workout. Music can help with motivation, but it’s easy to gradually increase the volume on headphones or earbuds, particularly when you’re trying to compete with loud music already playing in the gym.

The combination of background music, fitness classes, and personal listening devices can create a surprisingly noisy environment.

Instead of automatically increasing the volume to drown everything else out, consider using well-fitting or noise-cancelling headphones that allow you to listen comfortably without pushing the volume unnecessarily high.

Your ears also benefit from breaks. If you’re listening to music for an extended workout, periods without headphones give your ears a chance to rest.

If you regularly leave the gym with ringing, buzzing, or muffled hearing, don’t ignore it. These can be signs that your ears have been exposed to more noise than they can comfortably handle.

At Concerts, Festivals and Sporting Events: Protect Your Ears Without Missing Out

From live music to a packed stadium, some of our favourite experiences are also some of the loudest.
You don’t need to stop attending the events you love to protect your hearing. The key is managing how loud the sound is and how long you’re exposed to it.

Try moving away from speakers where possible, taking occasional breaks in quieter areas, and wearing suitable hearing protection.

For music lovers and musicians, custom hearing protection can be particularly useful. Musician earplugs are designed to reduce the intensity of sound while maintaining more of the clarity and balance of the music than simply blocking everything out.

This can help you enjoy the performance while reducing unnecessary exposure.
And pay attention to how your ears feel afterwards. Ringing after a concert shouldn’t simply be considered part of a good night out – it can be a sign your hearing has been placed under stress.

Around the House and Garden: Don’t Underestimate Power Tools

Hearing protection isn’t only for construction sites. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, drills, saws, pressure washers, and other household equipment can expose you to significant levels of noise, particularly when they’re used for extended periods.

A quick DIY job might not feel like a major hearing risk, but repeated exposure adds up over time.
If you’re using noisy machinery, appropriate earplugs or earmuffs are a simple addition to your safety gear. Just as you wouldn’t use certain tools without eye protection, it’s worth thinking about your ears before switching on loud equipment.

Don’t Forget About Your Hearing Aids

Being active doesn’t have to stop when you start wearing hearing aids. Modern devices are designed to fit into everyday life, but they still need appropriate care.

Sweat, moisture, sunscreen, and sand can all affect hearing devices, so it’s important to follow the recommended cleaning and maintenance routine for your particular hearing aids.

If you’ve been exercising heavily, check and dry your hearing aids afterwards. When heading to the beach or pool, make sure you understand the water-resistance rating of your devices before getting them wet. Water-resistant and waterproof are not necessarily the same thing.

If you’re unsure about what activities are suitable for your hearing aids, your audiologist can provide advice based on your particular model.

Know the Signs Your Hearing May Need Attention

Hearing changes can be gradual, which means they aren’t always immediately obvious. You may adapt your behaviour without realising it – turning up the television, asking people to repeat themselves, or avoiding conversations in noisy places.

Some signs worth paying attention to include persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears, difficulty following conversations in background noise, frequently asking others to repeat themselves, or feeling that people are mumbling.

If these experiences are becoming familiar, a hearing assessment can help determine what’s happening.

Hearing Protection Should Fit Your Lifestyle

There isn’t one type of hearing protection that’s right for everyone.

Someone who swims several times a week has very different needs from a musician, tradie, regular concertgoer, or someone who spends weekends using power tools.

That’s why hearing protection is most effective when it is matched to your lifestyle, activities, and individual hearing needs.

At Knox Audiology, our audiologists can help you understand where your hearing may be at risk and recommend practical ways to protect it without asking you to give up the activities you enjoy.

Stay Active and Look After Your Hearing Along the Way

Looking after your hearing doesn’t mean living life quietly.

It means making small, sensible choices that can help protect your ears while you continue doing the things you love, whether that’s swimming, exercising, enjoying live music, cheering on your team, or getting stuck into a weekend project.

Just as regular health, dental, and vision checks can help identify changes early, routine hearing assessments are an important part of looking after your overall health.

At Knox Audiology, we’re here to help you understand your hearing, protect it, and find solutions that fit naturally into your lifestyle.

If you’re concerned about changes in your hearing, regularly exposed to loud noise, or would like advice about hearing protection, book an appointment with Knox Audiology.

Call us on 03 9800 5697 or contact to organise your visit.