Self Care with Soultanicals Day 3: Making Moves in the Gym

Laaaaa, la, la-la wait til' I get these muscles right... Photo by The Flatlay Photog

This may come as a surprise, but I have a love-kinda-dont-like relationship with the gym.

Although I've definitely got a penchant for lifting heavy things, I wasn't always interested in testing the upper limits of my strength, much less setting foot into a gym.  In fact, like many of us - sweating out my hair used to be my #1 workout deterrent.

Going natural definitely helped me find my lane, in more ways than one. Once I mastered the wash & go, I realized I didn't really care for too many other styles. My wash & go allowed me the flexibility to rock my hair the way I liked, without worrying too much about my workout ruining my style.

There are some days where I absolutely LOVE working out - my #GymWerk playlist is hitting all the right songs on shuffle, my pre-workout has kicked in, lifting heavy gives me a rush, and I feel like I can take over the world. When my curls are acting right, I get a similar feeling.

Single arm kettlebell swings... WHEW! Photo by The Flatlay Photog

But that doesn't mean I don't have bad hair days, or that I don't lose steam in the gym. It's quite the contrary.

I have tons of bad hair days, and days where I'm envious of someone else's texture or length.

I have plenty of days where I'd I'd rather drink wine, eat Root Beer Glazed Wings from BJ's and watch LHHATL while I lay in bed. And days where I'm in the gym, upset with my lack of progress compared to somebody else's.

And in between those extremes, are weeks and sometimes months where I find myself just meandering through - neither abased or abound. To me, those days are the most dangerous. Those are the times where complacency takes root, and ultimately lead to the undoing of all my hard work.

Before the start of 7 Days of Self Care with Soultanicals, I felt myself sinking into that place. If I'm really honest about it, I was just about to check-in to my room.

My hair wasn't acting right, and I was just going through the motions at the gym.

Then, God pretty much told me to check my attitude and perspective at the door. Conventional wisdom told me not to do the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. If I wanted to see something new with my hair, and in the gym - I was going to have to do something different.

Charlie Mike combines heavy lifting and functional movements...My best friend and biggest foe. Lol.
Photo by The Flatlay Photog

I picked up God's not-so-subtle hints and challenged myself to get uncomfortable with a new workout plan called #CharlieMike. I also reminded myself that coming to love and embrace my textures is a part of self care. Being covetous or envious of what someone else has - whether it be on their head or in the gym - is counterproductive to my own sense of well-being. On top of that, it's wasted energy that gets me no closer to my own goals.

#CharlieMike is no joke - but I'll be so proud of myself 5 weeks from now.

Top two most hated exercises: lunges and burpees. But I'm doin' em. Photo by The Flatlay Photog

Inspired by my new found re-commitment to self care in the gym, I picked up Soultanicals Frizz Whiz Curl Defining Leave-In and Sprung Coil Boosting Gelly. If I was gonna go hard as the hood I'm from in the gym (sorry, it's on my #GymWerk playlist 😂), the wash & go is where I'm gonna be.

I don't know what Ayo did...but these two new products gave me the kick I needed to to work with my fifty-leven curl patterns and make them all pop.

These two... I'll tell ya. Photo by The Flatlay Photog

Frizz Whiz Curl Defining Leave-In

What it is
A moisturizing leave-in conditioner that detangles and helps capture the curl pattern while wet, to enhance definition in styling by smoothing the cuticle and minimizing frizz.

How I used it
In the shower, of course! I applied Frizz Whiz to my hair in 4 sections, finger combing it through for even distribution.

Key benefits
Although the ingredient list is pretty short and sweet, Frizz Whiz packs a botanical punch. Slippery Elm and Irish Moss provide slip for detangling while enhancing shine, soothing the scalp, and strengthening the fibers of the hair. Beet sugar doubles up on the strength, while helping to boost elasticity, smooth the cuticle, and help prevent breakage during styling.

Can you tell it's love?

Sprung Coil Boosting Gelly

What it is
A medium-strong (meaning: not ramen noodle crunchy, but not 'who's hair is this for?!' light, either) botanically-based curl definer designed to define and enhance coily and kinky textures. It helps reduce frizz and promotes clumping of coils and curls for extremely shrinkage-prone hair.

How I used it
Click here to watch the video on how I defined my curls.

Key benefits
Sprung Coil Boosting Gelly contains a follicle-fortifying blend of nettle, saw palmetto, and horsetail, along with wheat germ and jojoba oils for moisture and elasticity. I notice an immediate difference when applying Sprung to my curls, as you saw in the video. Frizz, gone. Curl clumpage, lit. Ayo put her foot in this one, for sure.

3 days and a few workouts later...still poppin'.

Day 3's lesson in self care, brought to me by Frizz Whiz and Sprung, helped me remember that:

• Trying something new is one of the best ways to get myself out of a funk.
• I'll always be better off redirecting jealousy/envy into energy to care for and better myself.

How do you push past complacency and focus on your positives? Let's chat in the comments below and encourage each other!

Catch up with the entire 7 Days of Self Care with Soultanicals series here!

from The Mane Objective http://ift.tt/2ujijE6