Reading while walking or when you are in a body movement is not good for the eyes as the reading material does not remain still. The constant movement of the reading material for a long period of time can cause eye strain or pain. Also, people walking down the street reading a book not paying attention is dangerous. As reported by CBC News, 78 percent of Americans said distracted walking is a serious issue, the number of injuries doubled, and you could get killed. Accordingly, would listening to audiobooks while walking be dangerous too?

 

Audiobooks are Safe to Listen

Audiobook is like talking while walking, you still must see what is in front of you. You can listen to audiobooks while having an exercise, driving, and do housework. You can retain information from audiobooks based on how attentive you are to the story. You can become very aware of what is happening both in the story and what is in front of you.

Using an audiobook is a safer practice as eyes are not distracted by reading. You can either pause the book and temporarily remove the headphones or earbuds when crossing a street. Though, audiobooks are not safe everywhere such as being on a street or unsafe locations.

 

Read and Listen at the Same Time

Read and listen simultaneously immerse you in a story by narrating and highlighting the text as you read. According to research, it boosts engagement, auditory stamina and focus, comprehension, retention, and taking you deeper into the book.

Listening to an audiobook while walking has benefits, you can exercise while learning or entertaining yourself and save time. Remember, be careful wherever you read while walking, it is possibly dangerous if you are not paying attention and if you are in unsafe places.

Here are guides that might help you when reading while listening to audiobooks:

  1. Pick a best location that suits your needs and preferences, preferably in a park or a quiet and safe place.
  2. Avoid unsafe locations, places with lot of people, or places with obstacles and other potential hazards. Your goal is to have fun or be productive while exercising and have an audiobook, instead of getting injured. 
  3. Pick a good time and day, make sure you choose to read, listen, and walking on a day when the weather is nice.
  4. Do not walk too fast, but then walk slowly and safely. 
  5. Stay focused, alert and be careful. This is the most important element of staying safe while you walk and read or listening.

 

The Best Audiobooks to Listen to While Walking

While walking, audiobooks are a perfect buddy ever! Whether you walk with your pet or for your health, you can get extra mental mileage when you take a great audiobook along.

Audiobooks have the power to help you learn about any topic in which you are interested. Whether you are walking outside or on a treadmill, these are the best audiobooks for walking.

  • I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t) by Brené Brown
  • Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
  • This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo MD
  • Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
  • Caste (Oprah's Book Club) by Isabel Wilkerson
  • The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir
  • Wild by Cheryl Strayed
  • The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel
  • An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
  • The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Take pleasure in listening with headphones or earbuds on!