Natural Hair and The Gym!

I remember my relaxer days like it was yesterday. With a relaxer, I was limited in the amount of activities I could partake in. 

#1- Swimming in the ocean or the pool had to be planned in advance. I'm talking hair appointment booked the day after my water extravaganza. 

#2- Umbrella always on deck. A mini umbrella in my purse, one in the car and one in the house just in case. Switched purses and forgot umbrella meant a day of anxiety attacks if the sky showed any signs of gray. 

#3- Club smoke a no no…I was so happy when the state of North Carolina passed the law banning smoking in public places. 

# 4- The Gym-------

My biggest excuses for not going to the gym: 

#1-Did not want to sweat my perm out. 

#2- Did not want to wear a headscarf in the gym because everyone would look at me like I was from the cast of "The Color Purple". 

#3- The maintenance of fixing my hair after the sweat fest was too much. 

I remember looking at other races working out hard in the gym. ---I mean running for miles and dripping sweat. ---I would think to myself " I wish I could do that." Finally, I realized that the only thing stopping me was my laziness. I had made excuses about my hair and it's maintenance and in the process my overall health was suffering. So I decided to hit the gym hard (head scarf and all) and as a result I lost twenty pounds (in 2008) which I have kept off to this day. 

2008 was a good year for me and my overall health. I started working out regularly and stopped chemically relaxing my hair (July 2008- Nappy Anniversary). If you are a transitioner or all natural here are a few tips that I learned to keep my hair in place while burning calories: 

#1- If you usually wear an afro or curly style, no slip headbands are a must. Sliding the headband around your hair helps to keep the hair away from your face. 

#2 Bobby pins- Are a no brainer of course. Secure hair in a stylish undo so you can still look cute at the gym. Works for naturals and transitioners. 

#3- For easy to go styles- Twist/braid hair in sections and tuck back in a ponytail or undo with bobby pins. If you sweat on your scalp, you can rinse the twists/braids in the shower and let dry for a fresh twist/braid out. 

#4- If you don't sweat on your scalp a head scarf tied neatly around your head with hair out in the middle is always an option. 

Feel free to add to this list.