When exercise got headphones

Before we jump into today’s topic, I want to say thank you to those of you who replied to last week’s post.​
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I asked about the first piece of exercise technology you remember… and your responses were fantastic.
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There was such a variety of memories.
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Some of you mentioned the Total Gym, others remembered Weider gold plates for barbells at home.
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And a few of you introduced me to equipment I had never even heard of before.
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One that stood out was the Slim Gym from the 1970s.

​I have to admit — that was a new one for me.
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What I loved most about the replies wasn’t just the equipment itself. It was the stories attached to them.
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Because technology doesn’t just shape how we exercise.
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It shapes the memories we build around movement.
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So if something comes to mind as you read today’s email — an old piece of equipment, something tucked away in a basement gym, or a workout tool from years ago — feel free to hit reply and share it with me. I genuinely enjoy hearing these stories.

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​Last week we looked at some of the earliest examples of exercise technology.
Bicycles.
Spring resistance machines.
Even those vibration belts that promised to “shake” you into fitness.
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Technology has always been part of how we move.
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But somewhere along the way, something shifted.
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Exercise became… personal.
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And music played a big role in that shift.
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So let’s slow this down for a moment.
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Before the 1980s, music in exercise mostly came from the room you were in. Maybe there was a stereo in the gym. Maybe a cassette playing during a fitness class. But everyone heard the same thing.
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Then came the portable radio and the Walkman.

Although smiling in this picture, I was not happy that my older cousin got a portable radio and I got a gold necklace.

​Suddenly people could take music with them. On a walk. On a run. On a bike ride.
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Movement became portable.
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And something interesting happened.
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People started moving longer.
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From a movement perspective, music changes how the nervous system experiences effort. It can reduce the perception of fatigue, influence rhythm, and create a sense of momentum.​
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It’s not just background noise.
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It becomes part of the experience of movement.
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The technology kept evolving.
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The Discman arrived in the 1990s (along with the challenge of trying to run without the CD skipping).
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Then came the iPod in the early 2000s. Thousands of songs in your pocket.
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And now?
Most of us carry our entire music library on our phones. Wireless earbuds. Noise-cancelling headphones. Playlists designed specifically for workouts.
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The technology keeps getting smaller.
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But the effect is still the same.
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It changes how movement feels.
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And yet, something interesting hasn’t changed.
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Your body still responds to rhythm.
Your nervous system still responds to pacing.
And movement still works best when it meets you where you are.
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Technology may change the interface.
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But the body still speaks the same language.
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 So I’m curious again this week.
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What was the first way you listened to music while exercising?
A Walkman clipped to your waistband?
A Discman bouncing in a backpack?
An iPod shuffle?
Or maybe a playlist on your phone today?
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Drop a comment below and tell me. I always enjoy hearing your stories.
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Next week I’m going to share a story from my synchronized swimming days — when I thought we had the most high-tech training setup imaginable.
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And at the time, it felt like the future.
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Be well and happy moving,
Lisa