I love long walks on the Beltline. Not exaggerating, I spend 2-3 hours every weekend on the Beltline. I’ll walk to Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Krog Street Market, or Piedmont Park (to play sand volleyball!). I love listening to my Pandora dance pop radio station, educational lectures from The Great Courses, books by Audible (I loved Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo!), and entrepreneurial podcasts like How I Built This. I also call my mom while walking, or use the time to catch up with a friend.

I used to own an Android phone and I loved my Philips pink headphones. I thought that people walking around with Apple AirPods looked ridiculous.

Additionally, wireless headphones seemed like a huge pain. Who would want the inconvenience of charging headphones? Or deal with the hassle of connecting your headphones via bluetooth every time you wanted to listen to something?

My friend convinced me. He said, “Chrissy. Give the AirPods a try. They are a game-changer.” So I purchased the Apple AirPods on sale at Amazon for $139.99, and I’m sold. Check out my raving review of the Apple AirPods for working out below.

6 Reasons I’m Loving the Apple AirPods with Wired Charging Case – And Why It Encourages Me to Workout More

1. Gym and Running Friendly? Absolutely! The Apple AirPods Stay Put While Running and At the Gym

My first concern with the Apple AirPods was that there was no “hook” to ensure the headphones stay in place. Surely, the AirPods wouldn’t feel secure while running, right? Wrong! The Apple AirPods feel quite secure during my runs and workout sessions. Plus, I love that I can put my iPhone in the pocket of my favorite leggings instead of carrying the phone in my hand.

Philips Pink Headphones – Headphones I Used to Use While Working Out

90 Degree Gym Leggings With Pockets – Perfect for Holding My iPhone and AirPods

2. Quick Connect and Disconnect – A Delightful, Convenient Feature of AirPods

I own a UE boom speaker, and as much as I love it, it’s a huge pain to connect and disconnect it to my phone. I expected the AirPods to be a pain to connect. I hate going through the steps of going to my phone settings, finding the device, and then pressing “connect to Bluetooth.” (All while hoping the device connects to my phone, and then waiting!)

Plugging in my wired headphones seemed much easier than dealing with wireless AirPods.

But, Apple surprised me. No setup or buttons needed! I simply pop the AirPods into my ears and my iPhone auto connects to the AirPods.

Pleasant delight: When I remove an AirPod from one ear, myu iPhone automatically stops the music and/or puts my phone conversation on speaker or normal talk mode. This is perfect. I no longer need to hit “stop” on my Pandora, podcast, or Audiobook when I take off my headphones. It happens automatically!

FYI – If you are searching for a waterproof, Bluetooth speaker – I own the UE Boom. It gets pretty good ratings, but I do have to admit that it’s a bit heavy for my taste. And the battery life is pretty bad. (It claims 15 hours. I’m lucky to get 1-2 hours.)

UE Boom Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker for Outdoor Use

3. AirPods Encouraged Me to Get More Exercise – I Now Walk and Talk for Hours

I talk to my mom on the phone. A LOT. I used to plug in my headphones and then hold the phone up to my face while talking to with mother. Now, I can keep easily walk and talk to my mom. It’s awesome! The phone stays in my pocket, and my mom can hear me clearly with the AirPods.

Plus, it’s now even more enjoyable for me to listen to my favorite Audiobooks and podcasts. The result? The Apple AirPods have me walking and exercising much more. I’m entertained while I listen to my Audiobooks, podcasts, and music, and I don’t have to deal with the hassle of a cord swishing back and forth as I walk.

4. The AirPods Hold Their Charge – No Worry About Cutting a Workout Short

I hated the idea of charging my headphones. What if I was on a long walk, and my headphones died? That would be a pain! The AirPods hold up to their promise. They have a long battery life. Apple says the AirPods should last around 5 hours if you’re playing music or two hours of talk time. So far, this has been true for me.

5. The AirPods Are Compact and Small – Great For the Gym and Working Out

I thought I would hate having small AirPods. What if I lost them? Turns out, their compact, small size is a huge benefit for me. When I meet up with a friend to go on a run, I can easily slip the headphones into the pocket of my workout leggings.

6. Charging The AirPods Is Easy and Not a Pain

Lastly, I like the AirPods because they are easy to charge. The AirPods have little magnets so that it “clicks” into the charging case. Magic! Easy.

What’s Not To Love? 3 Small Things I Don’t Like About AirPods

I love the AirPods. But they aren’t 100% perfect. (You can’t have everything in life!) I will admit that there are three major drawbacks.

1) The AirPods are small. This makes them easier to misplace.

2) Wireless = possible to lose. The AirPods stay in place, but I did see a girl almost lose one while running. If you accidentally brush your hair away from your ears or take off your sweatshirt with the AirPods in, there is the possibility that they will fall off and you could lose them.

3) Charging required. If you are traveling with your AirPods, you’ll need to bring a charger. This is an added pain. Plus, I hate the idea of losing battery while listening to music on a long plane right or a trip. So, if traveling – you’ll probably want to pack wired headphones too.

Apple Wired Headphones for the Gym and Working Out: Alternative to AirPods