african american hair and exercise???

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  • itsmskimmichelle
    itsmskimmichelle Posts: 68 Member
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    I definitely wish I could help you ladies but I've been natural for 2 1/2 years. I used to just put my hair in a ponytail when I was relaxed. Try going natural! :flowerforyou:
  • Sparkz1920
    Sparkz1920 Posts: 33 Member
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    i wear lots of wigs and i also have a weave in now. So i just wrap my hair up. I hated wearing my permed fresh wrap to the gym. Im going to start wearing my hair out in the next few months since its pretty long now, so wrapping it up i will continue to do
  • tangiesharp
    tangiesharp Posts: 315 Member
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    This is what my stylist wants me to do: wrap up hair before exercising. if I want to, dry it with the wrap on. leave it wrapped up overnight, then style as usual.

    This is what I do: exercise, sweat a lot, put moroccan oil on my wet hair, wrap it up about 15 min after my workout when i get home, leave it wrapped up overnight.
  • Nyeesha
    Nyeesha Posts: 54
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    This its a major problem among black women. Hair should not stop us from being healthy. I am not licensed but I do hair on the side. So I wash mine once a week regardless of me working out or not .. When you workout and sweat a lot you need to be sure to wash your hair once a week. Just like your face and/or body your scalp gets gross too from sweating . Ok now about my hairstyles .. I do styles that I can just get up and go.. And I dont wear wigs or weaves .. I do a lot of staw sets or roller sets.. Im actually under the dryer right now .. This week I did a slicked down ponytail look.. As if my ponytail is going toward one side and my free hair is roller set. I dont ever wear ponytails but this style gives the illusion of one . Next week im going to do individual twists then set it in small rods . I do water aerobics so with that humidity and ther sweating I do outside of the pool these styles are great for me.. Oh and I have a relaxer too . Hope this helps :) good luck on your weightloss !!
  • LexieSweetheart
    LexieSweetheart Posts: 793 Member
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    agree this is a problem for us. We never want to sweat out the fresh perm or sew in!. necole ari makes a head wrap especially for the gym i was gonna try it
  • wl4good
    wl4good Posts: 49 Member
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    So glad I found this thread. I'm debating whether or not I should transition to natural or get another relaxer. I'm about 1 month past due on my relaxing schedule and I was just going to stretch because I'm on a roll with my exercise program and though I am motivated, I don't want to take the chance that a fresh relaxer might de-rail my progress.
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
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    i have a sew-in...works out well for me because I sweat way to much to maintain a hairstyle during my workouts
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i no longer relax my hair but when i did in high school and college i had BSL length hair. i was on volleyball teams, swim teams an played rugby, so i worked out quite a bit and frequently washed my hair.

    honestly i never understood the issue some black women had with exercising and their hair. get the work done and get the dirt out. anything less is just an excuse to not work out :laugh:

    my basic routine to wear my hair in 2 side braids where the ends were tucked in to my braid as well as possible (this was especially important on game day for rugby otherwise i'd get my hair pulled). afterwards, i'd wash and condition like normal and then would wrap it and dry it. i never fooled with rollers or curling irons because it was pretty much a waste of time for me considering i'd be washing my hair 4-5 times a week at least.

    but now i'm natural so it's whatever. i usually wear 2 strand twists or boxed braids, but when my hair is loose i work out with either a fro, a puff or 2 side braids if i'm getting in the pool.
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
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    I have SHORT HAIR and workout in the evenings. So I just wear a bandanna to catch the sweat and to keep my hair flat. Check out this link for hair wraps. http://www.4cnaturalhair.com/accessories/new-workout-wrap-by-nicole-ari-parker-save-your-do
  • EBFNP
    EBFNP Posts: 529 Member
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    I have braids in , but when I am wearing my natural hair I usually pull it up in a ponytail. Its very frustrating especially getting my hair permed then blown out just to sweat it out. I hate wearing a scarf to the gym since my crush works there..lol
  • phatty4dayz
    phatty4dayz Posts: 125 Member
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    My relaxed hair used to be one of my primary reasons (more like excuses) for not working out. I got my last relaxer in March of 2011 and decided to transition to natural hair. Then that process got annoying and I did the big chop this past January. Let me tell you, I have never felt so free!!! I know going natural is not for everyone, but for me it was a liberating choice. I'll admit, there were a few times that I still tried to use my hair as an excuse (It's shamefull that I can be that lazy) because I'm a natural that likes to wear my hair straight most of the time, but then I remembered that I don't "have to" wear my hair straight, which is why I went natural, so that blew that excuse out of the water. lol
  • fluffysexyme
    fluffysexyme Posts: 104 Member
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    I'm agreeing with the others. Pony tail and cool air does the trick. I don't like them either, but I have hair that's just passed my shoulders and I don't do hair sticking to my head. I make it loose enough that it does pull and it allows air to circulate under my very think hair. I don't care what it looks like to other people as long as I'm comfortable lol I can't do the scarves as I find it makes my sweating worse my keeping heat on my head, so rock on to those that can.
  • MissTattoo
    MissTattoo Posts: 1,203 Member
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    When I was relaxed, I used to put on sweat bands or wear a scarf while wearing it in a ponytail.

    Now that I went natural, I don't even worry about it. I work out, take a shower, and wash and go. I stopped relaxing my hair in April of 2011 and then I finally did the Big Chop.

    But no matter if you are relaxed or natural, you shouldn't use your hair as an excuse to not work out. That's silly.
  • jayrock27
    jayrock27 Posts: 2
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    I agree I've been natural for nine years, my hair is long and thick which makes it very difficult to maintain now that I've decided to really go hard working out. I can't let my hair dictate my working out any longer. When it was shorter it was easier to maintain but with length, the struggle is too real! I'm at a crossroad; chop it off and remain natural or relax it.

    ps: I'm just not the type to put a lot of energy into doing my hair.
  • Microfiber
    Microfiber Posts: 956 Member
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    I wear a scarf/bandana when I'm exercising :laugh:
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
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    :bigsmile: hey everybody,

    i'm an african american girl with medium length permed and straightened hair. i'm curious of what other girls like me do with their hair during and right after excercise. sweating a lot is totally messing up my hair and driving me crazy but i'm not gunna stop working out :bigsmile: and i don't want to just cut my hair of like my gym teacher suggests... lol

    i need ideas from personal experience. thanks

    The hair issue is a nightmare. I'm mixed race but have afro hair like my mum and exercise, humidity, swimming.... it's all a pain in the *kitten*.

    I tend to tie it up tight and wear a scarf or sweat band but even then it starts kinking and curling and frizzing.... I visit my hair dresser... ALOT :laugh:

    I think it's only a problem as I have had my hair relaxed.... my mum lives in Spain now and is constantly in the heat and the pool swimming etc so she just leaves it curly now, she does not deal with it at all anymore lol
  • pcdoctor01
    pcdoctor01 Posts: 389 Member
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    I wear a scarf/bandana when I'm exercising :laugh:

    Me too. I'm a morning person so I workout in the morning and I still have my rollers in my hair and my bandana on.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Back when I had a mild relaxer, I usually didn't wear my hair blow-dried straight because it was too much maintenance, painful, and ruined my hair. After working out I would shampoo or rinse my hair and then condition it. Then I'd let it air dry. It was curly with some control.

    Now that my hair is natural, I put it up in a pony tail. I use an elasticized ribbon that I knot myself so I can control the shape and minimize creasing. When I return home, I shampoo or rinse and condition my hair based on whether it needs it. I put it up in a Curlease towel or old t shirt for 15 to 20 minutes to remove some moisture and then I let it air dry.

    I've made plenty of excuses not work out over the years. My hair was never one of them.
  • araromi2
    araromi2 Posts: 111 Member
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    I haven't had a relaxer since I was old enough to determine what was done to my hair(12years plus). I believe my mom relaxed my hair out of ignorance because the chemicals in relaxers are really unhealthy/unsafe.Natural hair can work for everyone,you just have to train your hair.When I'm not wearing a protective hairstyle,I twist my hair before I work out and wear a scarf during my workout and I'm good to go...being natural is so liberating
  • WDEvy
    WDEvy Posts: 814 Member
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    Not african american here but can I ask a slightly off topic quick question?

    I have very curly hair naturally and live in a super humid climate so when I straighten it the next day when I wake up I look like Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride. I know, lots of African American ladies with relaxed hair wrap it somehow at night. Can anyone direct me to a website or something to show me how to do that? I think it might help my hair.

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