Turbo Jennie calls it her splash zone. Not because she has any resemblance to Shamu – quite the opposite – but because anyone within a certain radius of her gets sprinkled with her sweat as it gets flung off the ends of her hair as she teaches TurboKick. Admittedly cardio kickboxing is a very sweaty endeavor but Turbo Jennie is not alone in this problem. Another instructor has to wipe the mirrors in front of her off when she’s done teaching, so prolific is her sweat flippage. As for me, I routinely whip myself – or on the odd occasion some poor gym soul who dared to stand too close – in the face with a sweat-soaked pony tail. It stings! Especially if it gets me in the eye.
The problem is not that we are all super sweaty girls. The problem is our hair. Despite what TV and fitness mags would have you believe, us girls do not show up to workout with long flowing locks swinging happily in the breeze. Unless you like the taste of sweat and dirty hair, you have to restrain those suckers. The issue is how.
A ponytail is generally the first solution. Of course you have to have hair long enough to pull back into a single rubberband. Then you have to deal with layers or bangs that won’t pull back. And then you have to check the mirror for “bumps” (at which point I think I just lost all the men reading). And then there’s placement of the pony: the right-in-the-middle-of-the-back-of-your-head look favored by fitness models only works if you will not be laying on your back. Ab work, weights, yoga, and Pilates all hate that ponytail. So do you move it up high to the top and feel 5 again? Or do you ride it low and endure the feeling of so much hair on your neck? And what to do with the resulting ponytail “dent” when you’re done?!
You may decide that the ponytail just won’t work. There are still lots of options: pig tails, french braid(s), head bands, sweat bands, do rags, barrettes, scrunchies (seriously??) and the ever-popular scaffolding of bobby pins. One of my personal faves: crazy buns a la Gwen Stefani:
I’m the one on the right and don’t judge me – it was Crazy Pattern Day in Turbokick. (You can’t see it but my thigh-highs have polka dots on them!)Each method has its pros and cons. Headbands – the elastic kind that go all the way around – pop off my head like they’re spring loaded. (Speaking of head bands, have any of you tried that hair wrap stuff? I bought a roll and cannot make it work! If I tie it on my head I end up tying my hair into it which really hurts. If I tie it off my head it’s never the right size. Once I get it on my head, it twists and pulls my hair. What’s the trick? 10,000 high school soccer players can’t be wrong…) Do rags keep all your hair down but they also make your head hot. And bobby pins, while very effective at holding hair, can pinch, twist, pull hair and sometimes sproing across the room at inconvenient moments. I’m just waiting for somebody to lose an eye in a group fit class.
My current fitness hair regimen involves a high-ish ponytail (that I can loosen and push up if I have to lay on my back) and my bangs pinned back with X-ed bobby pins. This works okay except I have to readjust several times, especially if we do headstands in yoga. Between all the hair fussing and the constant pulling on my bra straps (love the pregnancy rack, hate the double-bagging), I’m adjusting myself more than a male teen-aged swim team in their first Speedo uniforms.
One Solution – Hair Zings
Billed as “the original double comb hair accessory,” the Hair Zing is a contraption made up of two hair combs (yes just like your granny used to wear) held together by a web of beaded elastic. According to their promo materials, they won’t fall out, pinch your head, pull your hair or leave a crease. Ponytail dent solved! Even better is they lay flat against your scalp so you can lay on your back. You can even wear them swimming. And I got to try one out!
This is the one I picked: lots of fun colors and really stood out against my dark hair. Who wants to blend in?? So how was the Hair Zing in practice? The first issue is figuring out how to put it in. It looks really simple which is why I didn’t read the directions first. I’m telling you now: read the directions first. Once I got it down though it wasn’t too tricky. But then I couldn’t figure out how to get all of my hair into it. No matter which way I stuck it in, there was always some hanging down on my neck. I hate hair on my neck. Hate. But I’m game for anything so I went ahead with my workout. It was a good thing I had my ponytail holder on my wrist for backup though as the Hair Zing slid right out of my hair. To be fair, I have really fine, thin hair. Headbands, barrettes, clips and even rubberbands also slide out of my hair so this probably wasn’t the failure of the Hair Zing but rather my head. My real beef with the Hair Zing as a fitness accessory? It was so pretty! I know! It was all beaded and cutesy and made even a simply pull-back look like an elaborate do. The fitness downside was an everyday upside though as I did enjoy wearing it as I ran my errands. And it didn’t fall out during normal daily activities.
My verdict: the Hair Zing doesn’t doesn’t solve my fitness hair problems but then not much does. It was really pretty and fun for everyday use and I’m excited to see what other hairdos I can do with it. (Want some ideas? Check out their website for tons of gorgeous hair pics.)
Want to try one yourself? I have THREE to give away. Leave me a comment telling me what your current strategy is for managing your fitness hair. Or tell me a funny story about your gym hair. The random number generator will pick three winners to be announced Friday.
Unfortunately I don't have a solution for my gym hair. I tend to redo the ponytail a zillion times, depending on what the workout is. And I've been wanting to try one of those hair things, too. Maybe they'd work for me??
The strategy that works most of the time for me involves 2 ponytails. High on the crown of my head, I capture the top/front layer of my hair (the-no-longer-bangs-but-not-as-long-as-the-rest-of-my-hair hair), and then I combine that ponytail with a ponytail mid-to-high on the back of my head that contains the rest of my hair. As long as my hairbands are not too old (i.e. not too stretched out), this method does a decent job of keeping my hair out of my eyes and off my neck. Maybe a hair zing would be an easier solution for me…it's worth a shot!
Ooh, that Zing looks so pretty! When I jog, I tend to go for a ponytail because it's quick. But if I give myself a bit more time, I braid my hair. I start it high enough so it doesn't make my neck all sweaty. Then I can run and bounce all I want without my hair flying away and I can lie on my back for yoga and it lies flat with no painful or awkward bumps 🙂
Oooh, want zing. I need me somezing exciting. (Well, actually when I think 'exciting' my thoughts stray in the direction of Richard Armitage or someone of that ilk, but hair accessories are nice too.)
The worse part about cycling to work is the Helmet Hair Effect. Stuffing two feet of hair into a helmet does allow for the "raising the helmet and shaking those shiny tresses free" effect, but not if you've just spent an hour sweating under a hot sun.
Finding a way to contain the hair so that it's a) off the neck b)able to fit under the helmet and c)something that will not cause strong men to feel faint is a challenge.
AWESOME! I've seen those, and always wondered if they really work. I bookmarked the YouTube video, and made their website my new home page! How much poundage of hair do you think they can restrain? Like New Orleans levee strength, or more like Hoover Dam? Right now I use the Stay-Put Elastics(TM), and they seem to do okay. But I definitely like the butterfly twist hairdo… it would match my tattoo.
I'm with ya on the hair wrap stuff– can't figure it out. And other people must be having trouble because I bought it on a whim one day when target was discontinuing it. I currently use those rubber bands with grips on them and lots of bobby pins. For yoga I tie on a bandana because my hair just ends up everywhere. I still end up with little wisps poking out around my head– there's not much I can do about that!
weird MiFit revealation #28372b:
Ive always been jealous of women who can pull off that two bunned almost princess lea hair do you have in the pic.
It requires a certain thickness of hair I lack.
*sigh*
and methinks so does the hairZING! but you know me: Ill try anything once.
I'd love to win one of those things but I'm in England – does that matter?
No amazing strategies here, but this is what I do with my (long) hair:
– for workouts involving lying down: the 80s -inspired side ponytail. Couple it with a slouchy batwing Pineapple top and you're ready to Flashdance. Or benchpress.
– for cardio (especially good for cycling, or running with a cap or visor), one thick plait right down the middle of my back (using two hair elastics – one to make a low ponytail then one to secure the end of the plait) or two plaits, like low pig-tails.
I have to use two elastics – put my hair in a high messy bun, then add another elastic to make sure its really tight. 95% of the time, it stays put.
i put it in a messy bun and hope it doesn't end up too dented. but it usually does and i'm sad all day at work, lol. this thing would be awesome, as a major problem with AM workouts is trying to pull off corporate hair after the gym.
I've been blessed/cursed with my hair. The blessing is that it's currently making its way to my hips, and is thick and healthy. The curse is that I started going gray in 7th grade, and need to highlight it every few months.
I use a braid most of the time, but I get hair all over my neck. And you're right hair on the back of the neck when you're sweating is a gross feeling.
I usually try a tight ponytail kind of high on my head, but my hair is so thick that I typically break my hair ties. I've tried braided pigtails, which work, but aren't great. I'd love to give this product a try! Thanks for the give-away!
e.estt[at]yahoo[dot]com
My hair is currently just above shoulder length, having cut it about 6 months ago. Pre-cut, I usually wore a pony, doubled up into a messy bun-type thing (to prevent the tail from touching my neck) that required frequent re-adjustment and replacement of elastics that got broken from the weight of the hair.
Now, I still don't have a solution. Headbands never stay on my head, bobbies work sometimes, but always seem to dig, and I feel silly with two puffy pigtails.
My hair is curly and I keep it layered, just below shoulder length so I find a high pony tail works best for me. I end up with a pile of curls on top of my head, so it doesn't look too bad and it keeps it out of the way.
reading this blog gave me comfort. my hair cannot be easily put in a pony tail without extra work and effort to make it look decent. my quick fix? semi-bun, semi-ponytail. because i have thick thick hair i use 2 elastics to keep my pony in place, so i do the usual movements to put my hair in a pony tail but on the last twist of the elastic i do not let the hair entirely pull through, instead i stop short of my ends, keeping them tucked in the elastic and my hair does a loose loop. it doesnt look bad to do it high either. it stays in place and it doesnt bother your neck or back with weird bumps. it can also be a messy "do" without looking careless. and i use a thin head elastic or bobby pins to pull back flyaways on the front.
My strategy…pony with the ends tucked under and pinned down. It's kinda funny cause it sits right near the top of my head and bounces as I move (boing, boing…), but it does stay out of my face and gives my head adequate floor clearence for activities like crunches. I need to name the sucker, it's really a sight to see…
I simply use a hairtie and knot my hair into it at the back of my head. I don't have long hair, so can't put it much higher, and only do about 10 minutes of work on my back, so it's ok. The bangs go to the side in a bobby pin 🙂 I also lose the head bands. I think my head is too round! I would love to have the Hairzing for non-fitnes use!
I have short hair, hooray! At the point it starts to get in my way, it's time for a haircut, so I have not had to deal with any of the alternatives. Sounds like a pain!
a few months ago I chopped my hair off about chin length so the only probs I began having were with the sweaty bangage. I've been using a head band with huge fang teeth and so far so good 😉
My hair is super short for reasons such as this! Besides the 106 degree heat here in TX and the whole it's always warm in my classrooms while I teach. So, I have no use, but I used to be a fan of high pony tails when my hair was longer. Then again haven't done a headstand since probably elementary school…tried once & realized it's probably left in the past! It was a sight and a half.
I hear you on the around the head – head bands. All but one type pop right off my head. So annoying!
Highish pony and then a clip on my bangs (problem with clipping up the bangs is once they are up, they are up for the day). When I run, I can't stand hair on my temples so I will put on an elastic band but need to secure with my bang clip and then another in the back (so that it does not rocket off as you described – has happened to me too). I have tried headsweats too (love the visor for tennis) but worry that they will make my forehead break out.
Good morning!
Standing next to Jennie in the "Diva" section, she's crazy! There is no "zone" around her besides the "Fun Zone"!
Anyway, being blessed/cursed with naturally curly hair, I can't cut it short or I look like a big mushroom head. Keeping it long tends to keep the curl a little more under control, then you go to the gym. Ponytail is my ol' stand-by, with bobby pins for the front section of layers that I'm trying to grow out. But I also have the whispies, UGH! When I'm doing Turbo, I like to pull the hair into a bun, that way I'm not slapping myself with my sweaty ponytail when I look back for my kicks.
PS: Looking back at our mismatch day and only 4 of us had the balls, I LOVE IT!!! We look HAWT!
My solution? I cut all my hair off. It is no no longer than 2 inches on any part of my head. Granted if I don't spike it I kind of look like a lesbian / boyish but I also live in the prairies. 30kmh winds on any given day wreak havoc on anything longer than 2 inches.
Arg! I have a jaw-length bob with bangs and nothing seems to keep my hair out of my face. HELP!
Oh, I sympathize with your list of options. I've tried them all. And I, too, have fine, thin hair. When I had one of those Posh Spice bobs I usually wore a do-rag. Seriously, those cotton bandannas are the only thing that keep sweat from getting in my eyes. But, you're right, they make your head hot! Now that my hair is shoulder length I wear it in a ponytail and just take it down for Pilates. I've given up caring about the dreaded bump.
Oh, I sympathize with your list of options. I've tried them all. And I, too, have fine, thin hair. When I had one of those Posh Spice bobs I usually wore a do-rag. Seriously, those cotton bandannas are the only thing that keep sweat from getting in my eyes. But, you're right, they make your head hot! Now that my hair is shoulder length I wear it in a ponytail and just take it down for Pilates. I've given up caring about the dreaded bump.
Oh, I sympathize with your list of options. I've tried them all. And I, too, have fine, thin hair. When I had one of those Posh Spice bobs I usually wore a do-rag. Seriously, those cotton bandannas are the only thing that keep sweat from getting in my eyes. But, you're right, they make your head hot! Now that my hair is shoulder length I wear it in a ponytail and just take it down for Pilates. I've given up caring about the dreaded bump.
LOL!! Looks like you just got back from Disney World lol!!
Can't add anything useful, duh, but I enjoyed reading this!
The trick for the hair wrap stuff (also known as pre-wrap) has been a favorite of female athletes for years.
The trick for me is I tie it around my low thigh (right near the knee) and then slide it off and it fits around my head. and it sticks really well in the hair.
Love it!
I use a high ponytail for running but now my hair is long enough that the wet end is causing the dreaded whiplash swing with sweat flying everywhere. A running cap keeps the short ends off my face.
When I'm doing anything else I have to pull the ponytail low and get the heavy sweaty hair on my neck. As another with thin hair, if the band is tight enough to hold my hair it usually is pulling it out too. I end up re-tailing my hair several times during a workout.
I'm not a gym person, but a dancer, and in Irish dance I do a lot of jumping up and down, and my hair has to be really pulled back tight or else I have to constantly fix it. I also do West African dance which involves lots of "headbanging." My hair has to be tied back or it gets really knotted, and no ponytails because it whips me in the eye. And for capoeira my hair can't be in my eyes because eye contact is basically the most important thing…so as not to get kicked in the face.
The worst was when I was growing out my pixie cut and had all this nasty hair and bangs hanging in my face that I couldn't pull back. Now my hair is long again and I use a claw to secure the top part and then tie the bottom part into a low messy bun. Not attractive. I kind of look like a stegosaurus! But it does the trick 🙂
When I really want to secure my hair I throw on a cute baseball cap, ponytail through the back. I guess this doesn't really help with your short hair-do though…
Oooh that looks cool! I usually tie mine into a higher ponytail, and when I'm doing mat work I take out the ponytail. Big hairclips are also really useful for a quick "swoop up"… and they don't pull on your hair and hurt it the way a ponytail sometimes does.
For regular gym times, I have the mid-head ponytail, with a wide sports headband and a barrette holding back all the baby-fine peripheral hair. Once I get going enough that the ponytail end is dripping into my neck sweat, I deploy the second ponytail holder to capture the tail into a messy bun. I'm still tucking babyfine hairs behind my ears, but at least everything's contained.
My real challenge was how to handle my hair for my triathlons. I used to: have a low messy pony/bun for the swim, which then got changed into a LOW pony for the bike helmet, then got changed into a high pony/bun for the run. That's entirely too much time spent fussing with my hair! I have more important things to do!
So, now, when I'm standing around waiting for my swim wave to be called, I throw my bedhead into two pigtail braids. Then I tuck those up into the swim cap. Come out of the water and throw that helmet right on. Come back, toss away the helmet and throw on a visor, and I'm all set.
PLUS, being a 6-ft tall moose of a woman, having cutesy pigtails helps me look more feminine. 🙂
I have shoulder length hair that's really fine. So I'm betting the zing would fall right out of it (you don't need to put me in the giveaway list, honestly I wouldn't wear it). I just tie a basic ponytail while I'm working out. My bangs (sideswept, so they're long) do get in my eyes, which is irritating, but I just let them hang. When I'm doing abs, I just put the ponytail down on the mat, instead of my head.
After I work out, I take my hair out of the ponytail, then put it up in a kinda messy clipped bun in the back so you can't see the ponytail hair…
My ears stick straight out so I NEVER put my hair up. Yes it's a hot and sticky mess. You get used to it.
I have a solution! My hair is thick and long enough that all I have to do is twist it several times so it looks like a tight ponytail, then take it and wrap it into a bun. Instead of bobby pins or barrettes or anything like that, I just tie it into a knot and it stays just fine.
I don't have bangs though. They just get in the way of everything.
OMG, the hair! I have very curly & frizzy hair so I tend to spray it to the hilt like a baseball helmet! 🙂 So, I use a LARGE barrette to pull my hair up & when it is first cut, kind of hard. I usually bring a headband too when the bangs are shorter & use both when I work out.
I used to use those "don't pull the hair out" pony tail bands but they pulled my hair out! I need something that is really going to stay put because of my treadmill intensity & many of the standard clips just don't stay in my hair.
Afterwards, YUP, looks like crap but I just blow it all about with the dryer on days I don't want to wash it & put a headband on… after years of pulling it straight & fighting it, I am getting to that "I don't care" mode & not wanting to fool with it so much! I know, bad but true!
How I love the feeling of a sweat soaked ponytail on my back- kidding. My hair is very fine (and I straighten out the natural curly) so any attempt at a high ponytail or bun and it just slips out after 5 minutes. So I do the x pins on top and the low ponytail in back. Hate it, but nothing else works. The hairzing looks pretty but I am guessing it wouldn't stay in my hair.
Glad to hear I am not the only one with workout hair issues!
My hair is just short enough that it won't fit into a ponytail. Plus, it's crazy curly and gets frizzy when I'm hot. The best I can do is a fabric headband. At least it doesn't feel weird when I lie down.
I do a high ponytail most days. Sometimes I switch to pigtails but worry I'm getting too old for that look. My hair is above shoulder length so I can't do braids though I'd love to. (Well, if I could get my hands to cooperate, I'd try french braids but I can't seem to get it right.) I also sometimes twist two strands (one from each side) back into a 70's flower child sort of thing secured with a barrette.
I do the high ponytail thing with a elastic (just high enough to be out of the way though). It works, and I honestly don't care what the other gymgoers/people driving by think of my do. When biking, I do two low ponytails on each side, it works best with the helmet.
For non-exercise time, most days I let my thick wavy mess just dry naturally and walk around with bedhead for a few days before I rinse and repeat, so dents don't bother me unless I've made an effort to blow dry/straighten and style.
Sometimes I'll put my hair up in a stern, librarian-looking bun on top of my head. Not the most attractive look, but it does the job. Otherwise it's a high ponytail or braids. I have yet to find a perfect solution, however, other than a buzz cut, which I REALLY don't want to do!!!!
I have to confess that the gym is the one – the ONE – place where I don't give a rat's patootie what my hair looks like. I have ponytail bumps, and I don't care! 😉 Because of that though, I tend to wear a regular ponytail when I'm up and moving around, and then just pull it out and re-tail it when I lie down.
Either that or I pull it into a low ponytail, and then pull the tail straight up against my head and clip it there. When it's long, sometimes I'll flip it back down over the top clip and clip it AGAIN. It's . . . um . . . attractive. *cough*NOT*cough*
But! I do not care. 😀
(Oh, and don't enter me to win; I'm trying to clean out my hair doo-dads! LOL!)
My current strategy? I cut off 8" of hair and brought extra elastics in bright colors. They almost look like bracelets I wear them on my wrists so much. 🙂
"…us girls do not show up to workout with long flowing locks swinging happily in the breeze"
Ummm… I saw this the other evening at the gym. Long flowy blond hair. Big hoops. Push up bra… Oh wait, you were talking about people who go to the gym to actually exercise!
For me, it's usually a pony tail and head wrapped in a bandana to keep the sweat from dripping down my face… as much. Sometimes a hat combined with the pony tail if the bed head just can't be tamed. And I keep a towel with me at all times.
I have never heard of this before! I have a freind who swears by the sweat-wicking headbands. I don't remember what brand/company made them but apparently they're great…
personally, I just tie my hair back in a middle-height ponytail and use a berette to clip my bangs/shorter hair at the front in place.
The trick I've learned for the hair-wrap is that the distance between one ear, over the head, to the other ear is how much you need. Tie so that there are hardly any ends.
Hair wrap usually sticks well, but some people who can't get it to stay arrange it so that its not curled up, like a thick headband.
can you randomly interfere with random.org and choose my post? I have short hair now (by the way an extremely effective fitness hair solution!) but I like to grow it out and cut if off, and I have four, nay FOUR daughters! That's a lot of hair in need of fun accessories!
Tiny alligator clippies for the bangs, those covered elastic bands for the tail. I had to put my ponytail in a ponytail, which is how I knew it was too long. While swimming, a cap. A bun controlled the back, but bangs covering goggles on the fly or breaststrokes equals complete blindness. All serious swimmers wear caps, and we all feel like complete geeks while we do it.
Ohhh this drives me nuts too! I have insanely fine hair, and can't stand to have pieces in my face. I do the high pony and just suffer through ab work, and then either the hair wrap cut off and tied pre-headband usage) or those new Goody hair bands with rubber grips. The wide ones tend to stay exactly where I put them for at least seven miles 🙂
It's a ponytail and bobby pins for me. Not prefect – but it works mostly well enough. I'd love to find a better solution, something that really holds it back and even looks good at the same time.
I am a fan of the loose ponytail looped into a bun (so I can adjust it according to what I'm doing) with an elastic Goody headband holding my "little hairs" out of my face. It has been working for me for a couple years now. Sometimes I have to readjust the headbands (they do slide back just a bit occasionally), but overall they work well. I've seen the hair zing on a TV infomercial before (I believe) and would love to try it out!
I just tie mine back in a low ponytail. I don't even bother with bobby pins for my layers (I keep losing them anyway) unless I'm swimming (in which case I absolutely NEED bobby pins because otherwise when I come up to breathe, water runs down my hair into my mouth, and I choke). I let my layers hang in my face until I've generated enough sweat to slick it back (about 3-5 minutes into medium-high intensity cardio). Gross, I know.
In the winter, it's a ball cap. In the summer, it's a bandana for a headband. The ponytail height varies depending on my activity. No matter which method I use, there is ALWAYS sweat flinging everywhere! 🙂
I swim, so that means I need to use a swim cap. Unfortunately, I also have long, thick, curly hair that I have to manage to wrangle under the swim cap. I usually french braid it, pin the "tail" to the top of my head and pin my bangs back with bobby pins, then struggle to fit the cap over it all. Unsuccessfully. I wonder if this hair zing contraption would do the job of holding the tail portion to the back of my head allowing me to fit the cap over it. Hmmm…
I tie it in a knot right on top of my head for the gym. For windy days, I braid it behind my back. I think this only works for thick curly hair
I have to play soccer in the middle of the day in my school, and since I am in highschool, hair is a perogative that CANNOT be overlooked. Most of the soccer players use pre- wrap to hold back their hair. You can get it from a beauty supply store like Sally's, rip it off the roll and tie it round your hair a bit like a ribbon around a ponytail. It's no slip grip, so you can also tie it around your head and use it as a headband to keep those bangs out of your eyes.