When asked what families can do to encourage physical activity among teens, Dr. Susan Woolford , a childhood obesity expert and one of the study's authors, said in the University of Michigan Health Lab blog that she'd recommend less-sweaty activities, like yoga or Pilates, scheduling exercise time around wash days, and even experimenting with hair-preserving styles, like wrapping the hair or using a cooling band. But perhaps her most important piece of advice is to encourage and spread more inclusive beauty ideals.Davis notes that the natural hair phenomenon, while really exciting, tends to be concentrated in cosmopolitan areas such as New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. "I think there's still such a gap in information in certain communities," she says. "We need to do a better job of reaching teens and parents about all the wonderful innovations in products, practices, and styles."Erika Nicole Kendall, founding blogger at A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss , shares a similar sentiment. Like many Black women, Kendall has a complicated history with her hair. She spent the first 25 years of her life straightening her hair with relaxers, and it wasn't until she first started her fitness journey that she decided to go natural. "More and more Black women are going natural, and I LOVE it! But it has to be more than that. We have to praise one another for taking the leap and bucking the system," she says. "American society [has ground] the idea of kinky curly hair being beautiful down into dust. We have to rebuild that all, and one another, together."

Richelieu Dennis, founder and CEO of Sundial Brands (a portfolio of hair companies which include SheaMoisture and Madame C.J. Walker Beauty Culture ), adds that after acceptance, Black girls need to arm themselves with knowledge. "We need to come together to help young girls understand that being healthy is the first step in any beauty regimen. Whether hair is natural, heat-styled, straight, or otherwise, none of these styles wear well if the hair and scalp are damaged due to poor nutrition or health conditions," he says. "Providing simple styling tips, hair-care practices, and the right good-for-you product choices can make all the difference."But that's not all to say that embracing your curls and coils is the right or the only way to be fit — quite the contrary. Just ask Simone Biles , who is the first African-American gymnast to win an all-around world title (and is being championed as the best gymnast of all time) and Simone Manuel , the first African-American female swimmer to win an individual gold medal — two women who straighten their hair and kick serious fitness ass.How you choose to wear your hair is ultimately up to you. But when Gabby Douglas, another elite athlete, is still being criticized for not having her edges laid , it becomes clear how much our definition of beauty and the way we talk about health needs to shift, both within and outside of the Black community. Because it would be a damn shame for a young Black girl to give up her dream of becoming an Olympic star because of a little perspiration.