As spring gets underway, many of us are hard at work making sure we stick to our resolutions to hit the gym and get in shape. Not only are we asking ourselves how we can get slim for spring, but for Black women we also tend to pose the question, “What am I going to do with my hair?”
Khaleeqa Rouse, health consultant and creator of the fitness blog Paparoxi, used to ask herself that, too, until she decided to trade in her hair woes for a road bike and a wetsuit. After resolving to choose health over hair, Rouse started training for the Pocono Ironman 70.3 Triathlon — that’s a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run — which Rouse victoriously completed in six hours this past October.
Throughout Rouse’s three years of endurance sports training, she’s mastered how to keep her tresses in tact for work and social events despite her 6-days-a-week training schedule.
“The keys to maintaining your hair while exercising are to choose simple styles, let your hair dry completely after each workout before styling, and deep condition like crazy,” says Rouse. “Exercise and eating healthy has also helped my hair grow much faster, which has added more versatility to my styling options.”
Check out more of Rouse’s sweat-proof tips and a few celeb-inspired workout hairstyles inside!