Exercising with Curls: Keep your curls in shape while you get in shape

All curly girls know the struggle of working out whilst simultaneously having natural curly hair.

Whether you exercise with your hair straightened, or whether it's natural, there is no denying that exercise can seriously turn your good hair day into a hot mess. It can turn people off from maintaining a consistent washday routine, or even vice versa and turn people off exercise. We won't lie - working out and having curls is pretty tough.

But never fear! We'll be taking a closer look at the tips and tricks we have picked up along our curl journey to discuss what we have found actually works, and keep you and your curls healthy and strong.

Tip #1: Wear a headband

That's right, we're bringing back the 80's with the big curls and headbands to match.

Well, maybe not completely 80's. You don't have to go fluorescent if you don't want to.

Headbands are a great way of keeping your baby hairs down and your hair from slipping and sliding all over the place. We like to use black elastic circle hairbands with a thicker band (see the picture below) to keep our curls at bay. It's also a good way of soaking up the sweat (we know, gross but necessary).

Tip #2: Tie your hair into a pineapple using a scrunchie

You may have come across this technique for sleeping. It's basically when you bring your curls into a high ponytail (so high that it sits on top of your head).

This keeps your neck cool and doesn't disturb the curl pattern, because you're not stretching or denting your curls. You may have to tighten your scrunchie more than you would at night to ensure your curls stay in place if you are planning on performing any dynamic or explosive movements.

Tip #3: Refresh your scalp post-workout

In our previous blog post, we discussed what happens when you entertain a wet scalp (hint: it starts with 'f' and ends with 'ungal infection'). However, sweat is also damaging to your scalp due to the salt content it has, which dries out the hair and scalp.

If you sweat while you work out, your scalp may need some extra love and care afterwards to ensure your curls can last to the next washday.

Most curlies don't know they can use dry shampoo, probably because some methods preach about cutting shampoo completely from your life and relying on co-washing only (i.e. using conditioner to clean your scalp). Using a high quality dry shampoo can absorb the sweat to keep the salt from damaging your curls

Tip #4: Refresh your curls with a spray mist

This is one of the best tips we can offer. If you are time poor and workout a lot, then using a curl refresher spray can reduce the time and energy needed to get your curls back into their natural state.

We love this Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil Lush Length Lite Leave-in from SheaMoisture or this one found at From Duella (although their website is currently under maintenance!)

Tip #5: Use steam to refresh your hair

Some curlies find that steam keeps hair moisturised and gorgeous, while others find it increases frizz. With this tip, we recommend trying it yourself in the shower post-workout. Simply take your hair out from under the shower cap and let the steam from the shower dampen your hair.

Some people also like buying a steamer to control the process and use it without the need to hop in the shower (although we do recommend showering post-workout for hygiene reasons!)

Tip #:6 Align high intensity workouts with washdays

Ok, so this one is less of a tip and more of a hack. If you don't do high intensity exercise often or aren't prone to sweat, you may find it easier to just workout when you know it's time to redo your hair.

Washing your hair takes a while, and by the time it's washday, your curls have probably been tied up in a bun for a few days. In this case, all of the above tips can be disregarded and you can go straight to washing your hair in your post-workout shower.

Tip #7: Co-wash instead of shampoo

If you insist on washing your hair after every workout, we recommend using a co-wash instead so you don't run the risk of drying out your curls. Chances are, your scalp isn't that dirty after a workout and can be refreshed and cleansed with a moisturising co-wash.

The Light Conditioner by Clever Curl is a great conditioner you can use to co-wash, or you can try the Big Hair + Beauty Soft Co-Wash Conditioner, found at Saint Curl.