They work for me when I walk, clean or drive. I noticed that when I do anything else while I listen, I just zone out and forget where I was and have to start over or go back.
When I try to listen to podcasts at home my mind usually ends up drifting. And I can't stand having earbuds with music or anything else in my ears when walking. Separates me from my environment too much.
I wonder if any audiobook apps support that kind of speedup feature?