Peloton Instructor Olivia Amato Swears By This Hair Tie for a Fuss-Free Ponytail That Can Outlast Any HIIT Run

If you’ve ever taken an Olivia Amato treadmill, cycle or strength class, you can probably attest to the fact that she goes hard. As the longtime tiny but mighty instructor at Peloton, NYC-based Amato is known (and adored) for her hardcore HIIT runs and Tabata rides. Often ranking above an 8.0 on the Peloton difficulty scale, her classes certainly aren’t for the faint of heart. But if you’re a longtime member of #OliviasTeam (yep, the Peloton app has its own group hashtags) or just one of her 436K followers on Instagram, you’ve probably wondered one of two things:

1. How the heck does she walk in those Valentino heels?
2. How does her hair stay prim and polished after 45 minutes of sprinting?

After a recent catch-up with Amato, we finally got an answer (to the hair, at least). Her secret weapon to a flawless power pony? An Ariana Grande-inspired hair tie (plus, a little bit of hairspray).

“The Hairtie” by útiles beauty (pronounced oo-tee-lehs) was created in 2021 by celebrity hairstylist Alyx Liu. Available in a variety of natural hues and developed with thicker strands in mind, “the hairtie” was made to be both gentle on hair and strong on hold. “Most hair ties often snap while I tie my hair, rip out my hair or aren’t tight enough,” Liu told Hypebae back in 2021. “But these hair ties are really gentle and keep my hair up all day.” As the mastermind behind Ariana Grande’s signature snatched ponytail, the humble hair tie is without a doubt their area of expertise.

Amato is clearly a fan, too. “I’m obsessed with them,” she reveals, “it’s really all I use.” Though she does warn they can stretch out over time, she loves that they’re seamless and thicker than your average Goody, giving her the freedom to “really wrap it around my hair without any tearing or breakage.”

Add in a spritz of hairspray—Amato prefers Morrocanoil—and a few well-placed bobby pins and she’s ready to work (out, that is).