There are many health benefits that come with engaging in regular physical activity. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities, and physical fitness is one of the most important things you can do for your health. That is why we are debunking the stereotype that Black women don’t run.
In 2009, Black Girls RUN! (BRG!) was created in an effort to tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the Black community and provide encouragement and resources to both new and veteran runners. BRG! is on a mission to encourage Black women to make fitness and healthy living a priority. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S. with about four out of five Black women considered overweight or obese. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 57.6% of women aged 20 and over have hypertension (measured high blood pressure and/or taking antihypertensive medication). The CDC also reported that 80% of Black women are overweight. BGR! is helping to lower that percentage and subsequently, lower the number of women with chronic diseases associated with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle.
One major factor to making any lifestyle changes is to find a community of supporters who can hold you accountable. And that’s what BRG! is doing. The BRG! sisterhood helps you know that you are not alone in the journey, and they offer many different levels of support with a search option to find a community that is close to you. Health and fitness can be a priority in the Black community and we are able to demystify the stereotypes that seek to hold us back. Fitness is fun and movement is magical. With lifestyle changes like this, Black women can narrow disparities in the area of health and wellness. Join the Black Girls RUN! Movement to take the first step in changing your life and the lives of thousands of women across the country.
Share your experience with others and leave a review here!
Author: admin
The Blk Coin Collective (BCC) is an online platform that helps people find, engage with, and connect with Black-owned businesses.