It's time we called a spade a spade: The ponytail is not the best workout hairstyle. Sure, it gets your hair out of your face, so it's passable. But I personally feel there's a hairstyle that beats the heck out it for girls with long hair.

The high bun. Let me explain.

Sweat contains natural salts, so it's drying for you hair. And a ponytail? Well, even if it's high, it essentially creates a long sponge that absorbs the sweat from your head, pulling it down to the more porous ends of your hair. But if you tuck it up very high on top of your head into a bun and tuck the ends into the middle, it keeps your hair from getting quite so soaked. Plus, it keeps your hair off your neck, which everyone knows is THE BEST. Clearly, it is far superior to the pedestrian ponytail.

The only problem: If you've got a lot of hair like I do, buns can slip down because they're a bit heavy. My solution is to use two slip-proof elastics (like these from Scunci): one to create a very high, tight ponytail, then another to go around the bun and keep it in place. I find this keeps my hair up, even during high-impact aerobics. And if you find your hair breaks when you use the grippy kind, just coat it in a little conditioner before you slip it in. Done and done.

What's your gym hairstyle of choice?