Headphones for Exercise No pain, no gain...or so the old saying goes. However, folks do need a pair of good-sounding headphones to add a little pleasure to the pain mix. There are a couple of things you've got to get right for this heavy-duty application: First, the headphones have to stay securely on your head as you are moving around, then they've got to survive all the sweating. Perhaps the most important thing to remember, though, is that your ability to remain aware of everything going on around you is severely limited by headphone listening. Please be extremely careful if you are running, skiing, or skating with headphones on. Riding a bicycle in traffic with headphones is really not a good idea at all and is basically a recipe for serious disaster. NOT recommended. 
Most ear canal headphones (ECHs) work pretty well for exercise use, but they can easily cause lost awareness of what's going on around you due to their total 'isolation' ability. But maybe in the gym pounding weights or working the stair-stepper, that could be just what you want. Rest assured, sweat doesn't get into your ear canal behind the in-ear earpieces very easily and, in the rare event it does, a quick wipe of the earpieces & inside your ear with a tissue usually does the trick and you're good to go again. Keep in mind that ECHs do sometimes tend to amplify the sound of your heartbeat and/or your feet hitting the treadmill but we've found the best choices for minimizing that "cable microphonics" phenomenon are either the Sennheiser CX300 ECH/earbuds or the excellent sound quality performance and true isolating in-ear ECH design of the Shure SE310 earphones. We'll add that Chicago-based Shure Audio has released a strong 'SE' line of ECHs that are great for gym work and can also do double-duty for frequent travelers seeking excellent noise-blocking as well as for audiophilic commuters wanting superb sound quality even in the noisiest of environments. 
A lot of thrilling indoor/outdoor activity these days goes well with a sport helmet. We'd like to suggest the Koss KSC75 'clip-on' headphones (pictured at right). These are dandy cans for sk8ers, climbers, skiers, and boarders of all types (not surf boarders though!). They work well under a beanie, turban, or skullcap, too. The cost is low on these and Koss has a nice lifetime guarantee, so if you wreck them you can easily get them replaced. 
For something still secure but not stuck into your ear canal or clipped onto your earlobes, have a look at the Koss Porta Pro. These are, by a small margin, the best sounding little cans of their type, so you'll likely love the sound - if not necessarily their looks. Like all Koss headphones, they also come with a lifetime warranty so if you tangle yourself up in the stair-stepper or take a header off the recumbent bike, you can send them in for free repair or replacement. Similar cans like the Sennheiser PX100, the excellent-sounding sealed-earcup design Sennhesier HD228 and also the bass-centric AKG K81dj work really quite fine as well for exercise too.
'Neckband' designs featuring the headband looping behind the neck -- sometimes called 'Street-Style' -- are also popular amongst gym rats & on-the-go active types. The i-Grado and the Sennheiser PMX100 are likely the best neckband headphones for this application. 
Another very strong candidate entering this demanding exercise-use category is Sleek Audio SA6 ear canal headphones, especially when partnered with their nifty Sleek SW1 wireless accessory. Not only is the SA6/SW1 pairing perfect for untethered, cord-free active listening but the Kleer-enabled wireless transmission sound performance provides full CD-quality uncompressed audio for about a 60ft range from your audio source.
Finally, PLEASE don't forget to check out our GigaBag HeadRoom System bag (above right), a comfortable way to carry your Mp3 /iPod and one of our 'Mobile' line headphone amps -- like the Total Airhead or the Total Bithead -- at the gym or while jogging around the neighborhood. FYi, our little portable HeadRoom "built-in-the-USA" headphone amps run for around 40-50hrs off 4 AAA batteries and they will fully maximize the musical clarity and sonic detail resolution of any quality headphone.
