Long Hair, Don’t Care

Long Hair, Don’t Care
Written by Kim McLaughlin

Listen up all of you long locked ladies and gentlemen!

You’ve got enough to worry about when trying to string together hundreds of double-unders in the middle of a workout – peeing, muscle fatigue, the heftiness of your rope, the length and width of your rope’s handles, drifting elbows, etc. In fact, any dynamic movement – think muscle-ups, handstand push-ups, or even burpees – comes with its share of issues. Shoe laces come untied, hands get sweaty, and other annoyances can mean the loss of a few seconds on your workout and possibly the difference between a top score and just a mediocre one.

Unless you’re Lauren Fisher, who can do anything with disheveled hair, hair in the face should be an annoyance that can be controlled even before the workout starts. Below are a few ideas on how to tame your flowing mane when you’re working out:

1. The double hair elastic – one Goody Stay Put hair band is fine for a walk down the street or even a good lifting session but 100 double-unders or ten muscle ups can really take its toll on that band’s ability to hold your hair in a solid ponytail. Try using two! Make sure they’re fairly new bands so the elastic is in top form, but two is surely better than one in any workout situation. 
2. Bandana – This is an especially good option if you have bangs or pesky long whispies that only appear when it’s the most inconvenient. Tie them back with a bandana which also doubles to keep the sweat out of your eyes. It’s a two for one deal! 
3. Braid – There are plenty of good options in this category: french braids, corn rows, braided ponytails, low braids or braided buns. All of them will keep your hair under control when the rest of your body is moving all over the place. 
4. Bun – This is my personal favorite. It takes very little time and effort and you can keep your long hair for those non-gym moments. When it’s all up and back, there’s very little that it can get caught on and it’s out of your eyes for sure. Feel free to combine this option with number the double elastics or the bandana options. A double elastic bun is even less likely to fall or whip you in the face and the bandana still serves the purpose of keeping those pesky whispies out of the way. 
5. Cut it off – If you really want to show your dedication to CrossFit, chop it all off.  It can’t get in your eyes if you don’t have it. A simple, yet rarely used option.

These are the best options I know of to keep your hair under control in the gym, but if you have any other ideas please share them with the Invictus community below. Don’t let an unfortunate hair whip or sliding hair band be the downfall of any workout!