Hair concerns may be keeping many black women from working out

An African-American dermatologist — motivated by her own struggles with balancing her hair's needs against her body's needs — has found that many black women may forgo exercise to maintain their "tedious and costly" hair styles. More than half of the 103 African-American women involved in Dr. Amy McMichael's study were found to exercise fewer than 75 minutes per week, about half the federal recommendation of 150 minutes. About a third of the women surveyed said they exercise less because of their hair. The owner of one Harlem salon said she hoped things would change: "If you don't have a healthy body, then you aren't going to have any hair to fix." [Source]

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