We\u2019ve all been there: you\u2019ve stretched, your running shoes are on, you\u2019ve lined up the playlist that will help you more fully enjoy your workout, then\u2026your headphones are nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n
A wave of disappointment washes over you. You\u2019re left with two frustrating choices: the poorly sized set that came free with your phone and you\u2019re pretty sure you stuffed in the junk drawer (your rhythm disrupted as you push one tinny-sounding headphone back in your sweaty ear), or the simple sound of your breathing in your ears and your footfalls on the road.<\/p>\n
Purists might love the latter. Sometimes you need more.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re a hip-hop fan or a classical music buff, a custom soundtrack is your own secret weapon when it comes to running. Whether your poison is Raekwon or Rachmaninoff, science knows: music makes you run faster and for longer.<\/p>\n
A 2015 study in the\u00a0Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research<\/a>\u00a0found that \u201cmusic was able to activate the pre-frontal cortex area, minimize perceptions, improve performance and accelerate recovery during 5 km of running.\u201d<\/p>\n Runners averaged 27:33 when running in silence; 26:00 when listening to slow motivational music; and 26:06 when listening to music with a fast beat. They all got out of the gates faster with music playing, with the first 800 meters particularly impacted.<\/p>\n As Dr. Costas Karageorghis of Brunel University in London, a leading expert on the psychology of exercise music,\u00a0has written<\/a>, music can be thought of as an \u201ca type of legal performance-enhancing drug.\u201d (Dope tunes? Yes please.)<\/p>\n However good your playlist though, it\u2019s only as good as the headphones you play it through. Tiny sounding and poorly fitted headphones can impact your performance as badly as the wrong running shoes.<\/p>\n At Plantronics we think we\u2019ve nailed it with\u00a0Plantronics BackBeat FIT<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and our\u00a0BackBeat FIT 300 Series<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>BackBeat FIT 500 Series<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Plantronics BackBeat FIT is specifically designed for a high-motion outdoor workout, such as running, while BackBeat FIT 300 and 500 are more indoor gym companions. Sweat-proof and with a battery life of up to eight hours, these are a perfect companion to your training, whether you\u2019re braving the elements digging in for that ultramarathon or lifting and working your core at the gym.<\/p>\n They\u2019re all very comfortable, completely wireless and lightweight and durable owing to their nano-coat. The added functionality of easy to access on-ear controls means no more interruptions to dig out your phone when that playlist goes awry.<\/p>\n