To make styling easier, you should use natural hair oil on your scalp and massage the oil into your hair. Use natural oils like jojoba or coconut and avoid heavy oils like lanolin, petroleum, and mineral oils. These oils will clog up your scalp and attract dirt and dust. You can also use a boar bristle brush to brush the oil into your hair to make it easier to braid. If you have very thick, afro-textured hair, you can skip this step as it can make your hair more frizzy. It will be easier to work with your hair if you divide it into sections using a rat-tail comb. Divide your hair into two sections and clip each section with a hair clip. You can then focus on one section at a time. You can then decide if you are going to do simple braids where you braid each section into simple braids, creating two side braids or a more elaborate design like a top mohawk with braids. This is an easy option for afro-textured hair as it only requires you to know how to do simple braids. Because afro-textured hair can be very thick and tricky to work with, many people do small side braids in a row rather than two big side braids. Start with one section and do a small braid with 1/4 of the hair on one side. Start the braid just above your ear, at the top of your hairline. Collect hair as you braid, forming a small braid that lies flat against your scalp. Pull the hair so it is taunt but not too hard, as you do not want to damage your hair or your scalp. Once the braid is done, use a bobby pin to secure it. Then, make another small braid above the braid you just created. Make sure the braid starts right at your hair line and is parallel to the first braid. Secure this braid with a bobby pin. Finish with one more small braid above the second braid. It should start at your hair line and move parallel to the second braid. There should now be three braids on one side of your hair, forming diagonal lines. Repeat these steps on the other side of your head. You should now how small braids on either side of your head, framing the rest of your hair. You can then leave the rest of your hair natural or finger curl it using your fingers and hair oil. This option is a more elaborate braided hair style and may require a second set of hands or help from a professional hair dresser who knows how to work with afro-textured hair. If you are experienced with braiding your hair type, you may be able to do this one at home. Divide your hair into four sections and pin each section with a hair clip. Then, unclip the section at the front end of your hair, right above your ear. You will then braid a small section of the hair above your hair moving upward. Pull the hair taunt but not too tight as you braid upward. You want the braids to be as vertical as possible. When you reach the top of your head, pin the braid and then let the rest of your hair sit on your head. Move on to braid the next small section of the front section of your hair. Make the braid vertical and tight, leaving the remaining hair from the braid loose once you reach the top of your head. Repeat these steps, moving from section to section of your hair. The braids should all be vertical and in line with each other. Keep the hair at the end of the braids lose and let it sit on your head. This hair will act as the top mohawk. Once you have finished braiding your hair into vertical braids, you should have a row of 9-10 braids on each side of your head. You can then style the mohawk using hair oil and your fingers for a fun look.

Summary: Use hair oil before you braid. Braid your hair in sections. Do side braids. Try a top mohawk with braids.

When you're not getting ready to go out anywhere, put on clothes that are suitable for exercising. They'll keep exercise at the forefront of your mind and may encourage you to work a little harder. Wearing workout clothes also means if you have 5 or 10 minutes to do a short workout, you're ready to go. Instead of putting a milk carton straight into the fridge, use it as a weight and do a few bicep curls, or lift it over your head a few times. Switch and do the same thing with the other arm to prevent muscle imbalances. Canned goods are also good for doing bicep curls or straight-arm lifts with a little resistance. Hold a can in each hand, then extend your arms out to your sides even with your shoulders. Lower your arms down to your sides on an exhale, then raise back up as you inhale. Do 10 repetitions. You can also extend your arms in front of you and do forward lifts. Whether you're working on your computer or watching television, get up and move around for 5 to 10 minutes for every hour you sit. Pace around the room, or do 10-20 jumping jacks. If you're watching TV, get up and do quick exercises such as jumping jacks, push-ups, or crunches during commercials. If you invest in a stability ball (available online or at sporting goods stores), sitting on that instead of on your couch while watching TV is a good way to passively strengthen your core. During commercials you could do stability ball exercises. Sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, even making the bed all burn calories. Play some energetic music and increase your intensity to really get your heart rate up. Not only will you get in a little exercise, you'll also maintain a clean home. For example, you can burn between 200 and 300 calories cleaning your bathroom. Plus, scrubbing the tub is a great way to tone your arms and shoulders. Just 30 minutes of making the bed will burn 130 calories about what you'd burn if you ran on a treadmill for 15 minutes. If you spend time on the phone, you can use that time to get in a little exercise. Invest in a hands-free headset if you don't already have one, and pace around the room as you talk. Many smart phones have built-in activity apps that will also monitor your step count. Use these to see how many steps you're getting in each day. Try to add a few hundred steps each week to gradually become more active. Set a goal for how many steps you want to achieve, then challenge yourself to meet or beat that goal. Dancing can be an intense cardiovascular workout that gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Use slower songs to warm up, then switch to some faster-paced dance music. You can also play music videos from sites such as Vimeo and YouTube and try to mimic the dancers in the videos. But you don't have to be a professional dancer to have fun moving to the music and improving your overall fitness at the same time.
Summary: Wear workout clothes at home. Incorporate strength training when putting away groceries. Take short fitness breaks when sitting. Crank up the pace on chores. Pace when you're on the phone. Put on your favorite music and dance.