When it comes to wellness, putting in the work on the track, a yoga mat, lifting weights in the pump room, or testing your strength in a Pilates studio can be a gratifying challenge. Hair maintenance can be equally tough, especially once you get into a consistent fitness routine. The girls are going through it trying to maintain their hairstyles, keep up with washes, and keep their tresses healthy, as well as their scalps. So, what’s a burgeoning fitness girl to do with her hair when working out several days a week?
There isn’t a straightforward answer to this question because Black hair isn’t monolithic. That said, a starting point for everyone is understanding your hair and its texture. You also want to consider your lifestyle. Knowing how long you can go between washes, what causes the most buildup, which styles can handle the most sweat, which give your hair room to thrive, and what saves you the most time is key to keeping up with fitness and hair maintenance.
Before we delve into a list of hair ideas for fitness girls, we must first establish the importance of hair health. While you’re focused on keeping your body healthy, which is essential, most would say they don’t want their mane to suffer because of it.
Allison Vogt, a personal trainer and fitness instructor based in Atlanta, Georgia, works out about six days a week. She has cycled through several different hairstyles, including locs, twists, bantu knots, and cornrows, and discovered what works for her in the process.
“Do what your hair needs,” she says. “Keep it moisturized. Do your trims regularly, wear low manipulation styles, and then find things that you actually feel beautiful wearing and that you don’t have to switch up too frequently.”
Vogt washes her hair weekly and sometimes co-washes it mid-week when it isn’t in a protective style. Co-washing is when you use a cleansing conditioner instead of shampoo to wash your hair, preserving the natural oils and moisture.
Another hair health tip is to dry wash your hair, which is a method for refreshing it between actual cleanses. Nzingah Oniwosan, a holistic health consultant, engages in a range of activities five to six days a week and uses this method to manage sweat and smells. It can also help you avoid overwashing and drying your hair out.
“I use witch hazel and clean my scalp using a washcloth, and let my hair out,” Oniwosan says. “It keeps my hair from getting stinky. I refresh with infused water like rose water to add moisture back in and seal with hair oil.”
Here are a few hair care ideas you can try based on conversations with gym-going sistas and your specific hair needs.
Pull Up
Pulling your hair up is a quick and easy go-to for some gym girlies. It also gives you the flexibility to wash your hair as often as needed.
“I typically wear my hair in a French braid, loose ponytail, and a bun,” says Rianka Dorsainvil, a CFP and founder of Your Greatest Contribution. “My curl pattern is loose, so I think that makes it a little easier for me to take my hair out of a bun [and] put a little bit of water and product in it so that it can still be curly. But after a few days, it looks a mess, so I just put it in a slick back bun. That’s my go-to.”
There’s Nothing Corny About Cornrows
If you’re a wig girl, cornrows with your natural hair and a baseball cap can make hair care low-maintenance. You can wash the cornrows every other week and co-wash in between to help reset them. Another hack is to use a little leave-in conditioner to keep it moisturized and to mask any emerging smells.
In addition to cornrows, consider twists without extensions, a style Oniwosan gravitates to ahead of sweat sessions.
“I like these because it doesn’t take as long to have done and lasts a bit longer than a wash and go,” she says.
Lock It Up
If you’ve been considering getting locs, know that they can be a gym-friendly hairstyle. Penelope Hensley, a Pilates instructor and owner of The Being Sound Healing Center in Missouri City, Texas, has worn locs for three years, and it makes juggling her hair and fitness routine easier.
“Locs are so easy to maintain,” Hensley says. “They’re beautiful in all states, freshly retwisted or a messy fro with locs.”
Hensley washes her hair every two weeks, but how often you wash depends on your scalp and how far along you are on your loc journey. (Newly installed locs can’t be washed as often, for example.)
Ready, Set, Braids
Box braids are a beloved go-to style, but if you seek to avoid tight, long, and heavy braids that can cause inflammation on your scalp that leads to irritation from sweat and product buildup, knotless braids are a great option. Your edges will thank you for it, too.
You can also opt for lighter and shorter braids or ditch the extensions altogether and braid your own hair. Also, if you’re going to go this route, understand how to maintain your scalp in the process. That looks like washing your braids with shampoo or using a warm, damp flannel on your scalp to clean any sweat and build-up. Some people swear by tea tree oil to keep the scalp hydrated and moisturized in between washes.
Sweatband Any Style
You can rock a sweatband with any hairstyle, and it may help prolong your look. In terms of how sweatbands and gym wraps work, they use moisture-wicking fabric to draw sweat away and prevent your hair from frizzing up and reverting, especially if you have a silk press. Actress Nicole Ari Parker has a line, Gymwrap, you can test drive.
At the end of the day, there’s no one-size-fits-all routine. The key is finding what works for you by tuning into your texture and wellness goals. With the right knowledge and approach, you don’t have to choose between your hair and your health. You can flourish in both.