3 Workout Friendly Hairstyles

I have a not-so-secret confession. I have a lot of hair. Like A. Lot. It's borderline ridiculous how much hair I have. My hair is also kind of weird. It's really thin, but I have a ton of it, which makes it look really thick. You would think that with so much hair I would opt to have it shorter so that it was more manageable, but I actually hate having my hair short (the reason stems from that great '05 trend of needing to have straight hair, but it's a long story that's best for another time.) 

Thanks to my lovely genetics and addiction to long hair I have created quite a conundrum when it comes to what to do with my hair when I'm working out. 

They typical pony tail has way to much weight to wear and it starts to hurt my head and neck, not to mention I get whipped in the face when moving. A messy bun or top knot also bears a lot of weight and easily falls out when I'm moving around. 

It's taken me quite a while to come up with an arsenal of workout-friendly hairstyles, but I think I've finally done it and I thought I should pass on my wisdom to other long-haird ladies such as myself. So, here you go: three workout friendly hairstyles. 

1. Jasmine Pony

While a normal ponytail bears to much weight on my head a Jasmine pony helps to easy some of the weight of the hair and holds it in place so that you don't get whipped in the face. It's really the perfect work-out pony in my opinion. Plus it's super easy to do!

1. Pull your hair up into a normal ponytail. Make it as high as you like. 
2. Divide the ponytail into thirds and wrap a rubber band one-third of the way from the first rubber band. 
3. Wrap the third rubber band one-third of the way from the last. 
4. Pull each section out a little bit to give it some volume if desired.

It's great for cardio or strength workouts, but I don't love it for yoga/pilates because it hangs in your face and you can't see anything. 

2. Braided Pony 

This is an awesome one if you're just trying to get the hair out of your face, especially if you have bangs. It's still pretty basic and won't take too long. 

1. Part your hair wherever you like. (I prefer the side part)
2. Grab the top section and begin French braiding, but only pull from the front side. 
3. Keep braiding until the braid reaches just below the point where you'll put your ponytail.
4. Gather the rest of your hair and the braid and pull into a low pony tail. 

It's best when used for strength training and lower intensity workouts. I wouldn't recommend using it if you're doing a lot of cardio because the hair will stick to your neck (yuck). 

3. Double Dutch

This is my favorite workout hairstyle because it pulls all of my hair back and keeps it out of my face and off my neck. The best part is that there are NO bobby pins in this braid so you won't be worried about it falling out while you're working out. It does take a bit more time than the previous two. 

1. Part your hair any way you like (again, I prefer a deep side part for this one)
2. Take the smaller side and begin dutch braiding. Keep the braid tight so that will hold up during your workout. (Here's a tutorial on how to dutch braid skip to 2:45 for the dutch braid.)
3. Dutch braid the entire section of hair like you are creating two separate braids.
4. Once you are done with the smaller side wrap it behind your head and leave it with the rest of your hair.
5. Start to dutch braid the other section. 
6. As you grab pieces from the back start to incorporate your first braid. You probably won't start incorporating it until you reach the nape of your neck.
7. Once you've incorporated all of your hair keep dutch braiding until you reach the end of your hair. Secure with a rubber band. 

If you can't dutch braid don't worry! A regular French braid will also work! I actually only know how to dutch braid so that's just what I do.

This is great for just about any type of exercise. It also helps create a great post-workout look. You can either leave the braid in or just take it out and you'll have nice beach waves. Double win. 

Let me know if you try these out or if you want more instructions on them! I'd love to see your favorite workout hairstyles too!