Exercising to music isn’t a groundbreaking idea, chances are that if you’ve ever stepped foot in a gym or gone for a run you’ve done so hooked up to a device loaded with songs (or in this day and age, a device with a Spotify subscription) but did you know that listening to music is thought to actually help you put in more effort when you’re pounding the streets?
Of course you did – after all, who hasn’t been in the middle of a workout and thought they were going to DIE only to be saved by the beat of a power anthem? But what you listen to and how you listen to it are both important.
We asked you guys over on our Facebook page to tell us what songs get you moving and give you a new lease of life when you feel like you couldn’t possibly do another rep. The result is the MAN v FAT Ultimate Workout Playlist. There’s almost three hours of music with everything from hard rock to a cheesy pop classic from 5ive, so stick it on shuffle and get moving.
You can also click here to open it up in Spotify.
One lucky person will win some awesome headphones to listen to it on thanks to the guys over at Plantronics. They got in touch to see if I’d like to test out their BackBeat FIT headphones and because I needed a push to get exercising again (and because I love a freebie, obviously) I jumped at the chance.
I know you’re thinking ‘just get to the competition already’, so I’ll keep my thoughts short and sweet…
Photo from Plantronics
Pros
- No wires. Stating the obvious here, but having never used wireless headphones before I’m impressed and never realised how freeing it is to go wireless, especially when exercising. I do a lot of cycling and was always worried about my headphones somehow getting caught in the chain and sending me flying while I listened to music (on countryside cycle paths, never on the road – safety first folks). There have been many times when I’ve accidentally yanked out my headphones while exercising too, or turned my head and felt the rip of an earbud so it’s great to not have to worry about these things.
- It’s easy to connect via Bluetooth and the range is much better than I was expecting. As well as wearing them while cycling I’ve also worn them while at my desk, so they’ve been connected to my phone and my laptop and switched around multiple times a day and I haven’t run into any of the problems I thought I’d have.
- The sound is excellent – very clear with good bass.
- They handle sweat well. They also don’t too badly in the rain either, getting soaked in typical Welsh fashion on their very first outing but continuing to perform well.
- They’re a really good fit and they stay in your ears perfectly thanks to quite strange looking rubber loops which hug your ears. They haven’t fallen out of my ears once through extensive running, cycling and skipping.
Look how little they are!
Cons
- They need to be charged. What kind of futuristic dystopia are we living in when even your headphones need to be charged?! Admittedly, this is only a problem if you’re as disorganised as I am, and they charge quickly and keep their charge well, with one charge giving you six hours of listening time (this is the advertised time, although I found they lasted a little bit longer). A little voice will tell you when the battery is low too, so the only problem really is remembering to pop them on charge.
- You can accept calls through these headphones thanks to the inline mic which sits with the volume control panel but if you’re not in a quiet place it can be difficult for the person on the other end to hear you clearly. But as one particularly enthusiastic personal trainer once told me, if you can hold a conversation while working out then you’re not working out hard enough.
- If you’re stuck without Bluetooth then sorry, no music for you. How much of a con this actually is is probably debatable in this technology-obsessed age but if you’re not glued to your phone it might be a bit inconvenient.
All in all: they’re a fantastic bit of kit which make my bike rides much more fun and just owning them makes me want to exercise more. They retail for £90 so they’re a bit on the pricey side but when you compare these to other headphones by similar brands which do the same thing they’re quite a bit cheaper and totally worth it if you’re going to be exercising a few times a week and want to listen to music to spur you on in a fuss-free way.
You can get more info about the BackBeat FIT 305s and buy them from Amazon.
Fancy winning your very own set? We’ve got one to give away, all you have to do is enter via the handy Gleam widget below.
WIN BackBeat FIT Headphones worth £90!
What do you like to listen to while exercising and do you think it helps with your performance? Let us know over on the forum.
