Working Out With Natural Hair

It’s a new season and with the holidays around the corning. Working out while you enjoy them can be problematic if you are newly natural. Either dieting, exercising (or a combo of both), black women are moving in the direction of bettering their bodies and their hair. If going natural, you may have a workout routine in play, but have you factored in your newly natural or newly transitioning hair?  Does it make a difference that you are now natural and want to work out? Yes, it sure does.

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Relaxed hair is much easier to maintain in comparison to natural hair because there is no worry of hair reverting when sweat is added to the mix. Does this mean there is a cause for alarm? No, not at all as thousands of newly naturals or hard-core veteran naturals have learned how to successfully workout while maintaining beautiful natural hair. Here are some pointers on how to keep your hair in check while you work on getting body beautiful!

Cowash or conditioner washing is a lighter and less damaging cleansing of the hair. Shampoo will still have a place in cleansing hair but if you shampoo too often you can dry out your strands from the natural oils they need to stay moisturized and healthy. Just because you workout several days a week does not mean you have to wash your hair after every workout. If u feel your hair needs it more than once a week, cowashing will be the best way to cleanse without drying out your strands in-between shampoos.

Naturals are always trying to keep hair protected and working out is no exception. Hair needs to up and out of the way either in a high ponytail, up in twists or braids or even using many of the workout hair accessories like the Save Your Do Gymwrap by Nicole Ari Parker.  Looking for something even cheaper? You can get the Nike Women’s Printed Fury Headband 2.0 for under $30.

Make sure to keep hair up until it has fully dried and wash your hair accessories in-between wearings. You want to keep any bacteria or sweat away from your scalp and hair as much as possible.  Also, don’t go too cheap on the workout hair accessories, as you want the whisking away ability many of them have to keep as much sweat away from your hair.

Michigan beauty salon owner Athena Solomon suggests lightly spraying your scalp after exercise with olive oil, Shea butter spray, or Argon oil to rejuvenate hair, reduce frizz, and offer a sweet natural smell.  Shape

You can also add a few drops of lavender, peppermint or even tea tree oil to the mix to help fight any bacteria that may be trying to loom in your hair. If you are bigger on OTC options you have a lot to choose from. The Devacurl Mist-Er Right Dream Curl Refresher and Uncle Funky’s Daughter Defunk Hair Refresher Spray 8 Oz are great options.

Yes, protecting your hair by pulling it up and out of the way is necessary but you also want air-flow in. That means steering clear of any object like a hat, or do rag that will only trap the sweat in your head. When wearing your workout accessories make sure they are not too tight and they should be workout hair accessories so they are designed to not only fit loosely, but to whisk away sweat and wetness.

Great options are theSave Your Do Gymwrap by Nicole Ari Parker or the Nike Women’s Printed Fury Headband 2.0 for under $20.  They remove the sweat from running into your face without suffocating your hair and scalp.

It is possible to be a straight-haired natural and workout without your hair being compromised. You can get a Keratin treatment where you hair will stay straight longer and through workouts.  This is for naturals who prefer rocking straight hair or want straight hair for longer periods. You can wrap your hair while you workout and take down when fully dry or you can place hair in pin curls and workout before taking down when hair is completely dry. The key is waiting for hair to fully dry before take down.

Do the harder workouts on days you know you will be washing your hair that day or the next. If you are working out several day a week, then opt for a longer-term protective style. The bottom-line is to consider your hair and style for your upcoming workout week and you can plan accordingly for both and make working out go more smoothly.

They are ideal styles because they can be put out of the way when working out and you have low maintenance throughout the week. The style will not get messed up and you can still get the much needed air-flow in and have access to your scalp.  They also look great when working out and won’t mess up!

Always a winner for working out because they are easy to install and take down when hair is fully dried after the workout. Messy buns and puffs are always popular so your style will be perfect when going or leaving the gym. They also look great with workout hair accessories. Make your buns loose to get some hair flow and change the bun often too.

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I know, I know. Many would find this as the worst hairstyle but when I workout and don’t feel like jumping in the shower to refresh my hair and cleanse by co-washing, I simply wear a workout headband to keep hair back and allow hair to air-dry after the workout. I then fluff and go or spritz hair with a lavender + distilled water mix to refresh my hair (lavender oil has anti-fungal properties).

Working out is an important part of our healthy lives so never allow your hair to hinder that progress. Find the right styles and wash cycle for you and remember that natural hair will always be an asset to your health!

What workout tips do you use or hairstyles you love?
Sabrina

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