Black Girls RUN! Aims To Get African-American Women Moving

DETROIT (WWJ) -- According to the Centers for Disease Control, 80 percent of African-American women are overweight, which can lead to a long list of other health problems.

Toni Carey is hoping to change that.

As both an African-American woman and an avid runner, Carey founded the organization Black Girls RUN! in 2009, which aims to encourage black women to put on their running shoes and get active.

"When I started running, my mom told me 'black girls don't run' and 'that's such a white girl sport,'" Carey said.

The mission of Black Girls RUN! is to encourage everyone -- but especially African-American women -- to make fitness and healthy living a priority.

Carey says a surprising reason black women might skip working out is their hair.

"Hair is such a big issue -- it takes a lot of maintenance, it's not easy, you can't just wash it and go," Carey said. "So to try to work out and factor in the hair, it just falls by the wayside."

Black Girls RUN! has local groups in Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing. People of all levels of fitness and experience are welcome.

To learn more, visit the organization's website HERE.