An educated Black brother expressed to me that he was “tired of not seeing any black women at the gym.” The thing is, he had a very valid point. I joined a new gym about a month ago, and they have not seen me since. Now granted, I moved away from the area shortly thereafter and have been busier than Eliot Spitzer in a whorehouse; however, I seriously doubt that I would have kept regular gym hours if this was not the case. Generally speaking, Black women tend to list a variety of excuses as to why they simply do not work out.
- It will mess up my hair. (FAT will mess up your body!)
- I love my body just the way it is. (Does your body feel the same way???)
- My weight is genetic; black women have more curves. (Have you curved into a circle???)
- Work and family. (If you do not take care of yourself, you may not be around to take care of anyone else.)
My mission for the next 365 days is to make sure I engage in regular, exertive, physical activity, and here is why you should too.
Black women have the highest rates of obesity and being overweight as compared to any other group in the United States (4 out of 5 of us are either overweight or obese).* This is a problem that specifically affects the Black female community, disproportionately, and we need to be honest about it. There is no question that women of the African Diaspora are more voluptuous; that part is genetic. Nevertheless, this disposition is not an excuse for us to be unhealthy. This is not a piece about what shape you are, it is a piece about how healthy you are. African Americans as a whole are two times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.* We are also more likely to experience heart disease and hypertension.*
If health and scientific data are not enough to sway you, having been mentally molested by the era of Luke and Li’l Wayne videos, here are a few reasons that I have come up with.
Reasons Black Women should work out:
- Fashion! You cannot deny that there are more fashion choices once you become an “average” size (I do use that term loosely). I tell people all of the time – the reason I don’t let myself go is because I LOVE clothes! The only thing I love more than clothes is shopping!
- Stress relief. Exercise is a great stress reliever, so take advantage of this natural stimulant.
- MEN! Honey, have you seen some of the men at the gym??? I almost cancelled my gym membership instead of switching locations, but imagine the social opportunities that I would be quashing by doing that. Besides, working out is always more fun with a gym buddy.
- A sense of accomplishment. As an athlete, I cannot begin to describe how wonderful it feels to sculpt your body and see the fruits of your labor. It can be addictive.
Exercising does not have to be a chore. I recently did a pole dancing class, and it was AWESOME! Not to mention I learned a few tricks. ;) Ladies, find the exercise regimen that works for you! Our communities may not always have the resources or the education to nurture smart health decisions, which is why it is so important to do your own research and educate yourself, and to apply what you have learned. Ignorance or your environment should never be an excuse. Sometimes it takes a community of one to effect change over an entire community.
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