Quick post-gym hair...

We all know that we're supposed to get 30 minutes of exercise a day for our health.  According to the month's Health magazine, a recent study found that people who were most fit in midlife fended off heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's longer (I read that stat to my husband and laughed: they did a study on that? I thought it was common knowledge?)  I was blessed with good genetics in that I have never had a problem with my weight (fast metabolism), but I know as every day passes I get older and things are slowing down and becoming less tone. I think it's easier to maintain than to have to build.

The problem I think most people have with a daily workout is finding the time to get that exercise in. I count my blessings every day that there is a full gym on the third floor of my office building that is free for employees to use.  I am not a morning person, and I have school every night after work, so I get my workouts on at lunch. There's a locker room with showers so I can freshen up before I head back to my desk.  It's ideal.  I'm actually surprised at how few employees actually use it.

So, during my lunch hour, I can get my 30+ minutes of gym time in, and shower off, but then normally I would need at least another 30 minutes to reapply my face and dry my hair.  But its amazing how short an hour is when you are trying to do all these things.  So I have ceased washing my hair after my workouts.  Eww, you might say.  Fortunately for me, even when I sweat, my hair doesn't get really wet or greasy.  And I have adopted a dry-cleaning method for my hair post-gym, so I can fake it clean, and not have to resort to a ponytail or bun for the rest of the day.

They say its best not to wash your hair everyday anyway.  I can't really manage that more than maybe 48 hours (I have friends that can go days.)  But after about 2 days, my scalp starts to hurt.  Like if I'd been wearing a too tight ponytail for too long.  Plus my hair doesn't like to look good unless I've washed it and styled it in the mornings. So I definitely don't want to wash it mid-day after I've just washed it in the morning.  So here's what I do:

• before I jump in the shower for quick rinse off, I wrap my dry hair in a towel.  I actually have a couple Turbie Twists that work well for this purpose. The goal is just to keep your hair free from the shower steam that will make it frizzy.

• the next step is option, depending on how flat my hair looks when I get out of the shower and take the towel off my head, but I flip my head over and use the blow dryer for 30 seconds or so, to add some fluff.  Then I use a dry shampoo.  Now, I've tried a few, and so far I like John Frieda Luxurious Volume Anytime Volume Refresher.  It has a scent that is not too strong, and it doesn't leave my hair feeling stiff or grimy.  Follow the directions on the can, which basically consist of spraying your roots only.  I lift sections of my hair going around my head and give the roots a quick shot or two.  After I've done my whole head, then you take your finger tips and fluff your hair at your scalp, evenly distributing the dry spray.

• I follow the dry shampoo at my roots with a dry conditioner at my ends.  So far I've only tried one, but I'm liking it. And at less than $4, Suave Professionals Dry Conditioner Spray is a good deal.  I may try a different one once this one is out, just to have tried it. What this does is add moisture and shine to your hair without getting it wet.  Again, follow the directions, only spraying your hair mid-shaft to the ends.  You can spray a second time if you're hair still looks dull.
• Finally, I sometimes touch up the pieces around my face or any ponytail holder bends with a mini-flat iron I have (that was pre-heating while I was doing all the above steps), and do a light mist of a shine spray, and finger comb through.  Organix Shine Spray has a very nice, light scent, and adds natural sheen without looking greasy (1 -2 mists are all you need.)  Helps with little fly-aways too.  And then I'm done and ready to go back the office. 

All that took about 5 minutes. That, with my 5 minutes to put my face back on (a future post) and a 5 minute shower, and I'm out of the locker room in about 20 minutes.  No excuse now not to commit 30 minutes a day to my current and future health.