| p>The hair issue seems to be raising its ugly head | | | | I just don't think that's how it will play out. At that |
| again. With the recent release of the new Chris Rock | | | | final stage, who will care about your hair? Your fly |
| film: "Good Hair" the conversation again turns towards | | | | and fierce hairstyles won't make a difference when |
| the importance that black women place on their | | | | you're not there to enjoy life with your loved ones, |
| crowning glories. The amount of money that women, | | | | especially for reasons that are preventable! For those |
| black women in particular, spend on their hair | | | | ladies who get it, I applaud you. I've seen some of |
| according to the film is staggering. We spend billions | | | | these ladies get really creative. Before class they go |
| to have our hair "fried, dyed and laid to the side" as | | | | into the locker room and carefully wrap their hair, and |
| they used to say, and because of that, we are NOT | | | | some have even rolled it up in curlers and covered it |
| going to mess it up. I know women who have | | | | up with a scarf to keep it in style. When I see them |
| claimed to develop awkward sleeping positions, like | | | | after class or their workouts, they'll smile at me and |
| propping pillows up behind them, so that they could | | | | say, "I love looking good, but I need to work it out |
| sleep sitting up. Or one young lady I know who | | | | and that's more important." What's even better |
| claims to sleep with her head hanging off the bed so | | | | about this whole scenario is that the guys at the |
| that she doesn't "smoosh" her do. I for one like a | | | | gym who see this actually don't mind. Their response |
| good night's sleep, so I'm not about to allow a style | | | | is, "I can't get mad at a woman who puts her health |
| to get in the way of my dreamtime, so the most | | | | before beauty and a hairdo". Did you hear that ladies? |
| that I will do is to sleep on a pillow with a satin cover | | | | They're more impressed that you're working it out. |
| or pull it up at night with a satin scrunchie. Yes | | | | This summer I taught at a fitness event outdoors |
| fashionistas, I did say scrunchie, and mind you, it's | | | | and it poured cats and dogs. I waited for the director |
| only for sleeping and doesn't go outside of the house. | | | | of the event to tell me to stop the workout, but he |
| In that same vein, a hairstyle has never kept me | | | | said keep it going and so we did. Although we lost a |
| from the gym or my regular workouts. My personal | | | | few women to the elements, the majority stayed |
| stylist is very used to me saying to her, make it cute | | | | until the very end. And when the rain cleared I said, |
| enough to last me a day, because it won't make it | | | | "Well, that eliminates excuse number one...the HAIR |
| past the week-end. And many of my colleagues who | | | | ISSUE. If you ladies can work it out in the rain, you |
| see me with a straightened style know not to get | | | | have no more reasons to EVER use hair as a reason |
| used to it 'cause it won't look like this tomorrow. | | | | to forgo you workout again." They all laughed, but |
| I joke about that aspect, but it's true and very real. | | | | they knew it was true. |
| If you talk to most Fitness Professionals, especially | | | | So why is this so much of an issue? According to |
| those who have experience working with black | | | | statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and |
| women, the number one reason that they give for | | | | Prevention (CDC), *80.5% of black women in the |
| not working out is "they don't want to mess up their | | | | United Sates are considered overweight while 54.3% |
| hair". To that I say, get over it! Maybe at one time | | | | are clinically obese having a body mass index (BMI) |
| that may have been a weak but valid excuse, but | | | | higher than 30. |
| nowadays women have so much freedom to play | | | | At these raised levels, that means that 80.5% of |
| with different styles. With the teaching schedule that | | | | black women are at a higher risk for weight-related |
| I maintain, I work out regularly and still maintain a | | | | illnesses or chronic conditions that are exacerbated |
| great appearance from head to toe. The trick is | | | | by higher weight levels such as Diabetes, |
| experimenting and finding hairstyles that work well | | | | Hyper-tension, Heart disease, Cancer and Stroke. |
| with your lifestyle. You can braid it, get a weave or | | | | Have the freedom to wear your hair in whatever |
| extensions, buy a ponytail, a wig, wear it natural as a | | | | fashion you choose, but please ladies, do not let it |
| fro, locks, twists. There are so many options, but | | | | get in the way of your life! As the old saying goes |
| just don't let the hair issue get in the way of your | | | | "over my dead body..." if a change in habits does not |
| health. At the rate many of us are going we will be | | | | occur today, that may be sooner than you think. |
| good looking corpses faster than you know it. | | | | *Statistics source: CDC/National Center for Health |
| Imagine the conversations at the funeral, "she was | | | | Statistics; Health U.S. |
| so young...but her hair was always fierce". Some how | | | | |