Ashly Rodriguez on Beautiful Hair and Wellness from the Inside Out
All photos via Ashly Rodriguez
By Jasmine Nesi, Co-founder and COO, RUNGRL
#MyRunningHair
Ashly Rodriguez believes that “taking care of yourself is productive.” The Boston-based, 28-year-old natural hair, beauty and lifestyle influencer started creating YouTube videos in 2015 to share natural hair tutorials and beauty content. Since then, she’s developed a following and has expanded to beauty and wellness content as well. Now, she engages her audience through weekly workout check-ins, sharing her regimen and resources, and motivating her followers to keep moving, even during shelter-in-place measures.
We know that maintaining our hair is often a barrier to fitness for Black women, so RUNGRL co-founder Jasmine Nesi chatted with Ashly about hair and wellness, and how to make adjustments to thrive in both areas.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jasmine Nesi: When did you find wellness as an important part of your life?
Ashly Rodriguez: Growing up, I was really into sports. My brother and I are pretty close in age and were pretty competitive in football, basketball, you name it. But I tore my ACL during my senior year of high school, and took a break from fitness. I was off-and-on with fitness for a few years through moves to different states, but last year things just clicked for me. I had this moment where I didn’t like how I felt waking up nor how I felt in my clothes. I knew internally that I wasn’t as healthy as I could be.
I made a resolution in 2019 to get back into fitness and I slowly started making changes. I started with my diet, focused on portion control, then started hitting the gym for 20-30 mins on the treadmill. Then, I took it a step further with focused workouts. When I found consistency, I started sharing my journey on Instagram and so many women said they found it motivating and wanted me to share more.
Related Post: Real Women Share How to Refresh Natural Hair After a Run or Workout
Through [recommitting to wellness], there are changes to my body, I feel a lot better. But it’s also a confidence booster. I feel rejuvenated, more confident. I know I can push myself a little more in workouts and life. It’s a reminder that you are hardworking, you got this! I’m so happy I got into fitness and can help other women prioritize their wellness, too.
I’ve learned it’s okay to fall off as long as you don’t quit. Reset. Restart. And keep showing up.
Jasmine: When did your hair journey start?
Photo: Ashly Rodriguez
Ashly: My hair journey started in late 2014, as I transitioned from heat damage and started embracing my natural curls. I gave my curls breaks from heat for one month, three months, and then six months at a time, and I cut my hair as I transitioned out. My hair was healthiest in 2016 when all my damaged ends had grown out.
At the end of 2017, my hair went from super tight curls to wavy, loose curls I never had before. My hair looked as if it were heat damaged. I didn’t know back then, but my body was begging for me to eat iron, and it started taking away from my hair and nails. As soon as I went to the doctor and identified the issue, I made a change to eat better and my healthy hair texture started to return. Earlier this year, I cut off six inches of hair. My curls have grown back stronger and I’ve been loving embracing my healthy curls.
Jasmine: Our bodies are always talking to us. So happy you paid attention and you’re feeling better.
Ashly: Yeah, I thought my loose curls were because I had recently dyed my hair or because of all the different hair products I was using. It took a couple months for me to realize that the problem was something internal. I was also tired all the time and noticed a lot of hair shedding.
When I shared a video on it, I was shocked at how many people commented that because of my story, they had a wellness check with their doctor and found out they too had low nutrient levels in iron or other areas.
It was a wake-up call that you can have a good hair routine and the right products, but you have to take care of yourself from the inside as well.
Jasmine: We know that hair can be a barrier to fitness. Have you experienced this and how does fitness now play a part in your hair routine?
“I’ve learned it’s okay to fall off as long as you don’t quit. Reset, restart and keep showing up.”
Ashly: Yeah, hair was how I fell off working out in the first place. When I first started my hair journey, I did perm rod and flexi rod sets, so I waited until I had worn these styles for a few days before working out. This turned into me not going to the gym at all so my styles would last. It took me a while to get to the point that I got over my hair and started going to the gym. When you get a good workout in, it can sometimes be hard to save them and that’s okay because you always feel better after a workout.
My go-to style is a wash-and-go with a tight headband, loose spiral scrunchy. Then, I’ll use a refresher spray post-workout. I also love Ouidad’s Clean Sweep Moisturizing Dry Shampoo, made specifically for curly girls, for post-gym workouts.
I get messages all the time from women saying they don’t want to mess up their hair, and I always encourage them to work out and then figure it out. It’s a lot of trial and error. You’ll find the styles that work for you by trying.
Related Post: Tinika Sadiku on Learning to Have Fun With Hair and Fitness
Jasmine: What advice do you have for women who see their hair as a barrier to fitness?
Ashly: I’d say keep these things in mind:
There’s going to be an adjustment period [to establishing a hair and fitness routine that work together]. Find those styles that you like rocking and find a way to make them work. Your workout is going to be worth the effort.
If you want to prolong a style, find some low-intensity workouts that don’t cause you to sweat a ton.
Experiment with different styles and have a go-to hair “savior style” for post-gym time.
Jump on the internet, and whatever question you have, there’s going to be someone who has experienced it before and has an answer. We’re so lucky to have social media, like Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to give tips and advice on how to take care of ourselves, from diet to nutrition to workouts to hair tutorials. And lastly,
Find people and communities who motivate you to keep going!
Follow Ashly’s hair and fitness journey on Instagram and Youtube.
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Jasmine Nesi
Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer