How to wear running earphones

You are running along your favourite route, listening to an uplifting track when, all of a sudden, the music is interrupted as your earphones fall out of place. Having your music and training sessions interrupted by earphones falling out has got to be one of the most irritating things for any runner to deal with! Therefore, knowing how to keep earphones in when running can make life a lot easier!.

Listening to music when you run is proven to enhance overall running performance. An upbeat tune helps distract your brain from pain signals and feelings of fatigue - and that means you can focus more on exercise and less on your burning muscles. The last thing you want is to pause your run while you readjust some earphones that just fell out. 

Let’s look at how to wear running earphones so that you avoid this common frustration.

Why do earphones fall out when you run?

There are several reasons why earphones fall out while you are running. These include:

• Tugging on the cord

If you are running along with your earphones connected to your mobile or MP3 player in your pocket, there is a good chance that the motion of your legs and arms will pull at the wire and this will gradually tug the earphones out of place.

• Wrong shape for your ears

It may simply be the case that your earphones are not designed for your ear shape. Most earphone manufacturers design them for the ‘average’ ear, but many people’s ears are larger or smaller than this. Unsurprisingly, the buds do not fit properly and are more likely to fall out when running.

• Moisture

Sweating while running or being exposed to the rain can mean that the inside of your ears become wet - which makes it easier for the earphones to slip out

Fortunately there are several things that you can do to make running with earphones less annoying.

How to keep earphones in when running

Here is how to make earphones stay in your ear while running so you can enjoy your workout and your favourite tunes without any bothersome distractions:

1.Carry your mobile or MP3 player in an arm pouch

Many runners like to carry their music device in an arm pouch that straps onto their upper arm. This will keep the cord looser which means it is less tight and is therefore less likely to be knocked out of place than if the cord is stretched further.

2.Clip the cord to your shirt or top

Many earphones come with an optional clip on the wire which can be attached to your top. Once again, this means that the cord is not going to bounce around so much while you are running and is therefore less likely to tug the ear buds out of place.

3. Make sure you are using the right sized in-ear moulds

When you purchase a pair of earphones, you will likely have received several different moulds of different sizes for your ear. Try and find this packet again and try out different moulds to see if one fits your ear more comfortably than the standard size.

4.Hook the cord over your ear

We are used to hanging in ear buds from the ear lobe. However if you wrap the cable around the back of your ear then hang the bud into place from the top, you may find that the cord stays in place more effectively.

5. Invest in earphones designed specifically for running

There are several brands which have designed earphones which are specifically made for running. They may either use a plastic hook which hangs onto the outside of the ear or a cable that goes round the back of your neck to reduce tugging.

6. Try wireless buds

If the main cause of your earphones falling out when running is tugging on the cord, it might be worth purchasing a pair of wireless buds. This will eliminate the problem entirely.

7.Wear over ear headphones

A popular alternative is to wear over ear headphones. It is much harder to knock these out of place by simply tugging the wire, plus moisture will not usually cause them to fall off. That said, it is important to remember that headphones block out more sound which could be dangerous if you are running by a busy road. Plus, they do tend to get rather sweaty! 

8.Where a headband that covers your ears

Wearing a beanie or ear cover band that goes over the ear buds means that they will stay in place while you are running, and it will be much harder to pull them out.

How to stop earphones falling out when running

It is super annoying to have your favourite track ruined because your earbuds fell out. Fortunately, following our tips on how to keep earphones in while running should eliminate this stress for most people.