Exercise Your Hair - Care Tips for Post-Workout Hair Problems

I'd met her during the first class that we took together. This was our first day at the fitness retreat. We looked to be about the same age and we both had worked in the field of education. One thing was for sure, we were both tired!!! The trainer had put us through the ringer. All I could think about was a shower and the bed. My best friends word rang through my head and I smiled. She always said "You know you're tired when you take a shower and wash your face with deodorant soap". Since I've gotten older I can't do the deodorant soap face thing, but I was tired.

As we got on the elevator my co-fitness buddy told me that there was no conditioner in the hotel room. She could not believe they had shampoo, but no conditioner. She went on to say that she had forgotten to bring hers, and had been forced to buy the expensive little bottle in the gift shop. I stood there and smiled and nodded as I listened to the saga of the hair conditioner. This was one thing we did not have in common. As a member of a group of women who do not shampoo their hair everyday I could only imagine.

People sometimes wonder why African American women don't like to exercise, but then I ask you who does? I exercise religiously because I know I need to for my health and hopefully to fight the onset of "age". My sisters take pride in their looks from their head to their feet. Now let me start with their head, or should I say our head. We don't do hair every day. We would never make it to work if we did. In most cases it is not a wash and wear thing with us. When we shampoo our hair, we have to do a lot to it. In most cases if we just let it dry and not blow dry it we would look like we got caught in a rain storm mixed with a head storm. It's not going to lie down. It probably takes the average African American woman with less than shoulder length hair from shampoo to go about 2 to 3 hours to do their hair. I know there are some that can do it faster, but I also know some that it takes even longer. I have a friend that can shampoo and come out of the house and it will dry into cute little curls. If I tried that my children would know that I'm wasn't leaving the house unless it caught on fire, even then I'd be looking for my wig.

Some of us have gone to the natural hair style whether long or short. One of my roommates for the retreat wears hers very short and natural, but she has a cute little head. My other roommate pulls out wigs daily and they look good. Well me, I've gone the way of adding some hair to my own. If I can't do anything else with it, I will pull it pack and gel the edges. I can't imagine me shampooing my hair that I was born with mixed with the hair that I paid for-it would be horrible.

The next morning when I saw my new friend, she informed me that the conditioner was not that good, but it would do until she found her preferred brand. She also informed me that it took forever to do her hair and, she was so tired. I could only imagine that I probably would not have gotten any sleep if being tired made this task even longer. As we stretched before our class she lamented that she might wait until the next morning to shampoo her hair this time, she needed a little rest. I wondered if I should offer her some tips on exercising and hair the African American Way.