Running while listening to music, or more specifically, running while wearing headphones is an ongoing discussion. In general it seems people fall firmly on one side or the other. As for myself, I fall somewhere in the middle. I almost always wear headphones while running, however I will admit that running with headphones can be dangerous, or at the very least, distracting. But I also feel that it can be done safely.

If you run with headphones, here are a few points that you should keep in mind;

1. Take note of your environment and consider where you are running. The obvious danger is not being able to hear a car, however depending on where you happen to be running you’ll also want to be aware of other runners, rollerbladers, and bicyclists. And for those who spend time in the woods on the trail — you may also want to be aware of animals.
2. Wear headphones that allow you to hear outside noise. You are going to want headphones that stay in place and don’t move around or fall out of your ears. But at the same time you do not want any headphones that form a complete seal. In other words, you probably shouldn’t be wearing noise canceling headphones. And at times it may also be beneficial to use one earbud and have a free ear so you can hear any outside noise.
3. Keep the volume at a minimum level. This one is fairly obvious, but basically you just want to keep the volume at a level that allows you to hear what is going on around you. And keep in mind that even if the outside noise sometimes drowns out your entertainment -- that is far better than not being able to hear that outside noise.

With those few suggestions out in the open, how about we shift gears and talk about what you will be listening to with those headphones. Many will probably immediately think of music. This option can be used to pump you up and keep you moving at a fast pace. You can also use music for the quick boost with a favorite power song.

But you may not always be looking for a fast pace or quick boost. Sometimes you just want to go out for a long, slow, steady run. And for that you may want to look towards a podcast or audiobook. These two options are nice because they are spoken audio which is most often done at a constant pace (unlike music which can shift in intensity and sometimes cause you to speed up and slow down).

I tend to run most often with an audiobook, and can say from personal experience — my runs often go longer than planned because I find myself really engrossed in the story and I want to hear more. On the other hand, podcasts are nice because they go for a shorter set amount of time, and as a result they can be used to plan a run of specific duration.

Now that we’ve covered some of the highlights of music, podcasts, and audiobooks, we can shift to the slightly trickier aspect — finding the content. Music is a fairly personal decision and what one person likes another may dislike. Having said that, there are plenty of options for creating playlists. A quick Google search will give you countless playlists based on just about any criteria you can imagine. There are also apps (for the iPhone) such as jog.fm that creates playlists based on your specifics. And with a little time you can create playlists entirely from scratch using iTunes as well as many of the music streaming services such as Spotify.

As for podcasts, Apple has the Podcasts app which works well. Another good option for iPhone users is Overcast. A highlight for Android users would be Pocket Casts. And nicely, these types of podcast apps have directories that allow you to find shows. They also have settings that allow you to automatically search for and download new episodes at a specific time (so they are already downloaded when you are ready to lace up your shoes). Last but certainly not least are the audiobooks. You also have a few options here such as iTunes and Audiobooks.com, however I am going to make a recommendation of Audible. With Audible you’ll be able to pay a monthly subscription and get new book each month.

Of course, playing the non-headphone side here — sometimes it may be nice to leave the headphones at home and simply enjoy the sounds of your run. Running without headphones can be beneficial if you are trying to pay attention to your breathing. It may also just be nice to hear the wind or the sound of your shoes hitting the ground.