How to Workout With Curly Hair | The Curly Girl Method

One question that comes up in the comments section from time to time is how to workout with curly hair.

I’ve given the tips I have in the past. But until recently, I’ve been more of a yoga and walking type of girl. So while my hair always comes out looking just fine after a workout, my exercise was typically low to moderate intensity with minimal sweat.

Over the summer, I felt like I wanted a little more of a challenge. So I started doing some Chloe Ting programs.

I really enjoy these workouts, and they’re no joke. I have to lay a yoga towel down over my fitness mat because I sweat so much that if I don’t use the towel, my mat gets too slippery to useful.

So I’m definitely very sweaty when I’m finished these workouts–this includes my hair and scalp.

However! I’ve found I can still get 4-5 days out of a wash and refresh my hair, even with these super sweaty workouts. Today I’m sharing my tips with you!

Here’s my advice on how to workout with curly hair and how to refresh it afterwords.

Side note: This page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!

Some notes

Overall, this will probably be more possible for you if you already have an established, reliable, refresh routine. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for you if this isn’t the case. It just may make the process easier.

You can find my first refresh routine here.

Pre-Workout

I work out in the morning before I’ve showered or refreshed. (As opposed to someone who might refresh in the morning, workout later in the day, and then refresh again.)

Prior to these more intense workouts, I’ve found the best way to preserve my curls while I workout is to wear my hair how I sleep in it. This is still the case.

For me, that means in a pineapple with my curls piled on top of my head. (You can see more about sleep styles in this post.)

Since I’ll be moving a lot more, I loop the scrunchie around my hair twice. (When I sleep, I only loop it through once.)

During Workout

During the workout, I don’t worry about my hair that much. It moves how it moves, and it does what it does.

However, because scrunchies don’t have a super tight hold, my pineapple often comes loose or slides to the side at least once per workout. When this happens, I wait for the next break in my workout and redo the pineapple.

Post-Workout

By the end of my scalp ends up pretty sweaty. The hair close to my scale is usually wet, as are the ends that have hit my forehead and temples repeatedly. The rest of my hair may not be as wet, but it’s still noticeably damp.

There are also plenty of stray, sweaty pieces stuck to my face, and it’s definitely frizzier.

Cool down

One element I’ve stumbled upon that I think really makes a difference is a cool-down period between when I finish working out and when I refresh.

I shower after my workout with my hair in a shower cap just like I would on a normal refresh day. (Find my first refresh routine here).

However, because I’m so warm from my workout, I tend to keep the shower temperature a little lower than I normally would. The water is definitely still warm, but it’s on the cooler side which I think helps me cool down.

This also cools down my hair and scalp.

By the time I finish showering, my hair is still a little damp. But it’s not wet with sweat like it was when I got in the shower.

On days I opt for baths, I cool down almost completely before hand.

I find this gives me a refresh with very minimal frizz.

Refresh

Post-shower and cool down, I refresh just like I normally would. I’m still using this updated refresh routine.

If you’ve got an established refresh routine, start there. You may find your hair is a little frizzier than usual. In this case, you may need a touch more product. Or you may find the sweat has hydrated your hair. In that case, you may actually need a touch less.

I still typically use just one product to refresh these days. Sometimes I just use the Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-in. If my hair seems drier, I’ll use the Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator.

I almost never use both anymore because they end up weighing down my hair.

On this day, I used about a dime size of the Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator.

Final Notes

For what it’s worth, the Curly Girl Handbook says sweat is actually good for your hair because its natural moisture. I’ve totally found this to be the case for me.

I was genuinely surprised by how easy it was for me to refresh my very sweaty hair and how many washes I’m able to get out of it.

I also don’t notice that my hair looks, feels, or smells any different than it usually does on a day 4. (And I’ve had no complaints for anyone else–and my family would totally say something if my hair smelled gross.)

But I definitely think it’s worth noting that by the time I started sweating like this and refreshing, I’d been following the Curly Girl Method for over two years.

This means my hair is pretty healthy and hydrated, and I’ve learned it well enough to know what products and techniques to use to make it look its best.

I’m not saying it will take you this long, (it may not have even taken me this long, I just didn’t have a reason to try before now).

But, if you give this a shot and it doesn’t come out as you want it to, keep checking back in and testing this out as you get deeper into the method and learn your hair better.

It’s likely that the healthier your hair gets, the more possible and easier this will be.

Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?

For beginners

If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!

After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible. 

It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!

For more intermediate/advanced guidance

If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!

After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.

So that’s what I created!

Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.

Sound off: How do you workout with Curly Hair? Tell us about it in the comments!