Finding the Keys to Black Women's Wellness

By Na’Tasha Jones, Co-founder and Chief Content Officer

“Wellness” has become a buzzword. Whether in the news, on social media or even in academia, the overuse of wellness as a concept has reduced it to an overused trend and watered down what it truly means to really be “well”.

For Black women, finding a way to be well comes with a heap of other responsibilities and some very real barriers. For those that work hard to invest in our personal health and fitness each day, it’s important to understand that true wellness is not an unattainable ideal. For us, it’s an active process of living. There are actual steps that need to be taken to move in that direction both individually and as a community.

If you’re looking to start (or rekindle) your wellness journey, these three things are needed to help you focus on making your journey a strong one.

Access

Access to wellness tools, spaces, and knowledge are vital to get started on the road to mental and physical wellbeing. Yet, the more trendy wellness becomes, there remains a lack of representation or spaces designed for “US”. Expensive boutique fitness classes and exclusive membership clubs shouldn’t be the only way to get active or find your inner “namaste”. Black women have the right to work on themselves in spaces that are not only safe and inclusive, but that are specifically designed with them in mind, as well.

At RUNGRL, we strive to create a space and a community--both online and through our curated experiences--that provides access for Black women to learn about and begin that work. For those in our communities, it is vital that they see and feel this representation and understand that they deserve to be well, that they “can do it too”.

We use running as the vehicle to promote Black women’s health and wellness for that very reason. All you need to start running is running shoes and the motivation to get started. There’s no membership fee, no application to be accepted, and no special equipment required; you just go out and get these miles.

Accountability

Accountability is no small thing. When we lead busy lives, it’s easy to let other important things push back on our health and fitness goals. Be it because of societal pressure, family needs, or cultural norms, the idea of accountability for Black women often extends far beyond ourselves. But if we feel responsible for everyone and everything around us how then can we focus on personal wellness on mental health on physical strength and on self-care?

Having a partner or community to help keep you accountable can make all the difference. Are none of your friends or family really into working out? Why not invite them to be your accountability partners? Maybe a partner is just what they needed as well. No running group in your area? (or none with like-minded individuals?) Why not start your own? You could be the leader that gets everyone motivated and a catalyst for some very important change. It doesn’t have to be in person either. A faraway friend or online buddy can work just as well to check in on you and motive your progress.

It does wonders on a physical and spiritual level to have someone to rely on, check in with and even vent to when things get tough. It also means something that the person holding your accountable truly understands your experience.

Adaptability

The third key to wellness is the ability to adapt. Life very rarely goes according to plan, and a commitment to wellness is just like any other commitment. It requires work and consistency. Adaptability will save you when you have to work late and miss a scheduled workout, when the kids are having a bad morning and you don’t have time to pack your healthy lunch, or when a sudden responsibility means you have less time to go for a run than you planned.

Instead of giving up and throwing the whole wellness plan out of the window, being willing to move things around will help you stay committed to your health and wellness journey. When you have a schedule conflict come up, opt for a quick home HIIT session or make time for a longer workout the next day instead of giving up on your workout completely. You’ll feel great that you stuck with it and your consistency ‘muscle’ will be strengthened to stay the course.

Adaptability also means taking what’s out there and adapting to our needs, asking yourself, “How can I make this work for me?”

Black women have always been the queens of making things work. From ancient times, to slavery and Jim Crowe, to working in today’s racially divided society, we’ve found the strength to patch things together better than MacGyver ever could. But better than being the “strong” ones who handle everything the world throws our way, is using that strength to prioritize ourselves. Why not put that “it’s handled” skillset to work with our own health?

You know better than anyone what works for you and what doesn’t. Start with these three basic areas to build your plan and make the act of living well a vital part of your daily life.

How do you focus on access, accountability and adaptability as you work to be well? Share with us in the comments below!