Don’t let your tresses be the reason you’re not picking up those running shoes this summer! By Shevelle Rhule
Exercise and black hair creates a bit of a predicament. On one hand, we want to be healthy, feel good about our wellbeing and, of course, have a killer Kim Kardashian bod to flaunt. On the other hand, our mane is our pride and glory and – after spending whole days in salons, spending X amount for the privilege – the thought of our hair meeting a sweaty demise doesn’t inspire many to sign up to the nearest Fitness First! However, in the grand scale of things, refusing to compete in any form of exercise because of your hair, is a pretty lame excuse, to say the least. The benefits of partaking in an activity that will help you live an average of four years longer surely outweighs the benefit of your hair remaining frizz-free for two weeks!
Now the first issue we face when trying to keep our hair looking in shape while exercising is how often to cleanse. “The amount of times you wash your hair really does depend on how often you work out. If you’re hitting the gym 2-3 times a week, realistically you’ll have to up the amount to every other day to remove sweat, otherwise it can weaken the strands causing breakage,” explains the Director of Hype Coiffure, Kim Johnson. She adds, “As we’d normally recommend that Afro hair only be washed once a week to every fortnight, it is important to use a mild shampoo – a baby shampoo would be ideal. On top of this, to ensure the hair stays hydrated, invest in moisture hair treatments at your salon.” Any exercise that will raise your heartbeat is going to make you sweat – FACT. If you’re exiting the treadmill looking as fly as you did when you first pressed go, then you’re probably not working hard enough! So, instead of concentrating on not sweating your hair out, find products that will combat frizz and keep your tresses healthy. “As most women know, trying to keep your hair dry whilst working out is a near impossible task. Therefore, use products that will remove the sweat from the hair structure, in order to keep it protected from breakage as much as possible. MIZANI Supreme Oil acts as a barrier to sweat and breaks away the salts in sweat from the strands,” explains Emmanuel Barnett, MIZANI Afro specialist at The House of Rush.
Often, braids and weaves are the easiest way to maintain tresses while exercising. However its still vital that the natural hair underneath is well cared for. “You should treat your weave the same way you would your own hair. You can’t allow sweat to stay in the hair, as it’ll weaken it, therefore you have to factor in washing and conditioning hair regularly. Also, arrange to have your extensions taken out once a month so your natural hair underneath can be treated fully,” says Kim. It is important that after each session your hair is dried as thoroughly as possible with a hairdryer, as the natural hair will develop mildew and start to smell – gross!
Swimming is one of the best exercises for losing weight but the chlorine can be testing on Afro tresses. A top tip is to wet hair before getting into the swimming pool, as wet hair can’t fully absorb the chemical laden water. “As chlorine must be washed away from hair with clarifying shampoo, you should try and schedule your next shampoo to coincide with your swim. Whilst swimming apply a leave-in conditioner and then wrap the hair in cling film before donning a swimming cap – Aquaprides
(aquapride.co.uk) is particularly good at keeping water out.” By doing this you can reduce the amount of water that seeps onto your hair, so you may only have to rinse the hairline rather then the entire head.
As long as you stick to a good hair regime with products that will hydrate tresses thoroughly, plus fortnightly visits to your salon, the odds are your hair will remain in tip-top shape. With that sorted, now you’ll have to find another excuse not to go to the gym…
