There are a thousand and a half reasons why you can’t possibly make it to the gym today, right? Well, let us take a moment to solve one obstacle for you—your hair.
We bring this one up specifically because, for one, it’s our area of expertise, and two, hairstyle preservation is actually a reason why lots of women, especially African-Americans, ditch the treadmill. According to a new study published in the Archives of Dermatology, two out of every five African-American women say they avoid exercise because of concerns about their hair.
It makes sense; especially since hair care is often costly and tedious. You may choose to only wash your hair once a week to keep a salon style looking good. And sweat? Well, it messes up that plan.
So to help women who might be evading a cycling class to keep their hair straight, Celebrity hairstylist and Motions Global Ambassador Ursula Stephens has a few ways you can protect your hairstyle while you get fit.
To protect short, styled hair, she recommends applying a moisturizing product like Motions Hydrate My Curls Pudding ($6) prior to working out and then wrapping a cotton scarf around your head, leaving the top exposed. “The cotton will help to soak up the sweat and the pudding will keep your hair refreshed and moisturized so it doesn’t frizz out,” she says. Be sure to wait until any sweat has dried completely before removing the scarf.
If you have long hair, Stephens says to wrap the hair with a silk scarf immediately after working out. “You can shower, get dressed and then remove the scarf and comb it out. You can also try pin-curling medium sized sections of your hair and covering it with a silk scarf during a workout. Once finished, comb out and style.”
There you go, no more excuses. Looks like it’s time to hit the gym, ladies.
