Black Women Avoiding Exercise To Maintain Hairstyles: Study

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  • Naptownbabi
    Naptownbabi Posts: 256 Member
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    my only change has been not getting my hair straightened anymore. i have naturally curly hair and when i get my hair straightened i cannot get it wet or it wastes $30.00. and it's just gross if i dont wash it after the gym so i dont even bother anymore.
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
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    I'm a slaphead so find this fascinating!
  • 1Fizzle
    1Fizzle Posts: 241 Member
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    Braid it up and keep it moving....I hear braids keep longer.
  • obum88
    obum88 Posts: 262 Member
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    Natural hair gal her due to pregnancy two almost back to back, but now that my natural hair is longer it is easier to manage. The sweating from working out might be why my dreads and twists didn't take. When I meet the creamy crack again, I am thinking ponytail and sweat bands.
  • babymaddux
    babymaddux Posts: 209 Member
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    As a younger 20-something black female, it stopped me from swimming

    i've had so many friends tell me exactly this when we were talking about school swimming lessons. a lot of them said their mothers wouldn't even let them learn to swim because it would mess up their hair. it was a whole side of it i'd never thought about as an english white kid in the 80s. also, where i lived there were no black families, so it just wasn't something i was ever introduced to. but the idea that generations of children missed out on learning to swim because of their hair really shocked me.
  • Jrickel81
    Jrickel81 Posts: 8 Member
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    Loves it!! I don't have time to be worried about my hair when my body is clearly my focus. My hair will be dealt with afterwards. I myself am relaxed but I sweat a lot in my scalp. I wash off all traces of make-up & put my hair up. I wash & condition my hair a few times through out the week so that I can continue to go hard in the gym & my hair is actually healthier now than it ever was which I also associate with working out. I would rather be healthy / fit & easily fix my hair later than to be overweight & always have my hair done up!
  • Msveebee24
    Msveebee24 Posts: 8
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    I have relaxed hair and I just wrap up my head and I keep it moving. Of course hair is an issue because I want to work out but I also want to be able to go out in public and to work the next day without a problem. So you just find creative ways to maintain your hair including braids, weaves, or just using a hair wrap.
  • Jrickel81
    Jrickel81 Posts: 8 Member
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    Washing with just conditioner (aka co-washing) works surprisingly well to remove sweat and oil. I do this everyday and only shampoo, maybe, every third day.

    This is what I do too every 3 days & then regular shampoo on the weekends! My hair loves it!
  • SVCat
    SVCat Posts: 1,483 Member
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    None of the girls at my gym have this problem...they just go here

    Oh-Girl-Who-Did-Your-Hair-Salon-01.jpg
  • TAMayorga
    TAMayorga Posts: 341 Member
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    Because it easier to talk about hair rather than other things..........just saying. This is interesting although I've experienced more of "my" female black friends avoid working out..., especially with weights, out of fear of looking like Serena Williams or losing their booty, more than messing up their hair.


    Your friends need to pay better attention - Serena has quite the booty.

    Serena has quite the BODY. I would LOVE to look like her (if I didn't have to spend hours a day in training)!
  • toshi89
    toshi89 Posts: 101 Member
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    Man that sucks. That may be why it's stereotyped that a lot of black people can't swim, b/c we don't like water. I love water, & swimming. I just get braids.
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I have noticed this a lot... and not just black women. I am super white (I mean like a ghost or a lobster depending on the sun) and have friends of multiple ethnicities. It really doesn't matter what color you are.... but I have seen people use this as an excuse to not work out no matter race... though the more you pay for your hair the more excuses I hear.

    I just wear hats & scarves a lot. And I rarely pay much for any hair style, color, etc. If my hair will be a disaster.... there is a hat in my near future.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    This is no surprise. But I think the younger generation is more concerned with staying fit and healthy.
    Natural hair is now more mainstream as well. I mean even as early as a few years ago I remember a character on "A Different World" who wore her hair natural but was forced to straighten it for a job interview. Silly by today's standards.

    Just reading this cause I was intregued, but I wanted to reply to this... shoot that's true for a friend of mine who is white and red headed but has an awesome set of curls... but because she works on TV she has to straighten her hair.

    In any regard, the OP can be true for a variety of reasons... hair, make-up, black, white, brown...
  • BossChic
    BossChic Posts: 3 Member
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    I used to be one of these women. Worried about maintaining my hair and not getting it messed up. But I have decided my health is far more important than my hairstyles. So I started asking my stylist what to do and she told me to wrap my hair when I go to the gym and keep it wrapped up until it is dry. It works like a champ everytime.
  • dafoots0911
    dafoots0911 Posts: 347 Member
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    As a younger 20-something black female, it stopped me from swimming

    i've had so many friends tell me exactly this when we were talking about school swimming lessons. a lot of them said their mothers wouldn't even let them learn to swim because it would mess up their hair. it was a whole side of it i'd never thought about as an english white kid in the 80s. also, where i lived there were no black families, so it just wasn't something i was ever introduced to. but the idea that generations of children missed out on learning to swim because of their hair really shocked me.
    I learned to swim as a preteen (7-10) but as I got older and started to doing my own hair, there was too much work involved in keeping our hair straight . Afro's had not quite come out yet. We did a press (hot comb) to get our hair straight -- not only for the look but because it was more manageable and once the water hit it, it was back to afro or what we call "nappy". When my hair goes to it's natural state it is much harder to get a comb through so that means it takes time to come up with a decent style quickly. Time is something we don't always have so once relaxers hit the market they did not mix well with the chemicals in swimming pools. I did wear a cap but it was so tight I couldn't think straight. So that is why I stopped swimming. and just stayed away from the water. I learned the basics but really didn't like swimming anyway. Cheerleading and dancing were so much more fun.
  • Camille0502
    Camille0502 Posts: 311 Member
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    Count me in the "club." At times in my life when I have used relaxers or spent time blow drying and straightening my hair I would think twice about working out - or "time it" with a planned wash. As I got older I went short (as in my picture) or natural (how I wear it now) so I'm not fighting nature anymore. However, what I don't think some of the previous poster understand is the importance if HAIR in the black community. As little girls, we are raised with the fear of death if we get our hair wet (our moms spend lots of time making our hair look nice). Hair is a sign of beauty. Having "good hair" is even better. In fact, I was not allowed to wash my own hair. That was my mom's job - once a week.

    I have a niece who has to sneak off just to get her hair trimmed because he father goes ballistic - if you are a black woman and can grow your hair long, you do (although, I tossed that out the window when I chopped my hair off :-) - and I have "good hair" **GASP**)

    So I am not surprised at all by the study. Sad as it is. And at my older age - I'm glad that natural hairstyles are accepted more.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    So, did they interview women with natural, curly hair? I don't have typical "black" hair.. I think this all comes down to people of all races being lazy and unmotivated..

    I am SO thankful that my parents didn't jump to a box of relaxer because they couldn't get a comb through my hair when I was 5.. even more thankful that I have embraced my beautiful hair. My hair is mixed, comparable to "Indian" hair.. when I swim, I put conditioner in my hair and if I avoid swimming its because I am prone to ear infections if I don't use ear protection in the water.

    I still love busting my butt seven days a week.. I have become heavier after gaining over 120 lbs between two children but that definitely had nothing to do with my hair! What a load of horse.... manure.
  • LexieSweetheart
    LexieSweetheart Posts: 793 Member
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    I think we focus way to much on hair and what type of hair makes you beautiful. There are ways to keep your hair beautiful and still take care of you!! you might have to give up the sew in's and remy hair but in the end it is worth it
  • bandomom13
    bandomom13 Posts: 7 Member
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    I had a friend that avoided exercising because of her hairstyle, and you what? She ended up with a heartattack. Now she takes good care of herself, hairstyles are not worth Not exercising..
  • JusticeGirl25
    JusticeGirl25 Posts: 703 Member
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    A couple of my good friends recently cut their hair short simply because they don't like ponytails and it takes less time for them to deal with their hair after they shower. While that might be true, I like having medium length hair. I don't have issues taking a shower after every workout. I know after workout, I untie my ponytail and I may look like crap, but that's what you're supposed to look like after a workout.

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