Black Girls RUN! Continues Health Tour To Second-Fattest State in U.S.

Black Girls RUN! is headed to Birmingham, Alabama for the second stop of their Preserve the Sexy Tour. This tour is traveling to cities in the “Stroke Belt,” which have some of the highest obesity rates in the United States, to host one-day health and fitness clinics. The Preserve The Sexy Tour’s first stop was to a sold-out audience in Nashville, Tennessee in early January. The next stop will be in Birmingham on February 2.  31.6 percent of Alabama’s adult residents have been measured as obese, a rate predicted to top 60 percent by the year 2030. “The rate of adults diagnosed as overweight or obese are staggering. Nine of the ten fattest states are in the South, and Southern states also rank high for diabetes and hypertension,” said Ashley Hicks, co-founder of Black Girls RUN!. “With the ‘Preserve the Sexy Tour’ we want to encourage African-American women in areas with high obesity rates to embark on a healthy lifestyle.” The Preserve The Sexy Tour will feature Black Girls RUN!’s unique “Walk Before You RUN!” training program, guiding women in their journey from walking to running. Participants will also receive information and tools on choosing the best running gear, hair maintenance tips, nutrition and healthy eating, and more. Future “Preserve the Sexy” tour stops include:

February 2 – Birmingham, Alabama February 9 – Miami, Florida March 16 – Richmond, Virginia April 20 – Atlanta, Georgia May 11 – Jackson, Mississippi June 8 – Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina

The tour is open to beginner runners, walkers, non-Black Girls RUN! members and current Black Girls RUN! members. Participants attending the Preserve The Sexy Tour will receive a comprehensive toolkit to get them out of the door and onto the pavement.  Click here to register for the February 2, Birmingham, Alabama tour stop, and take advantage of the early bird special price, available until January 11. “Too many women have been intimidated by the idea of running because they started out too fast or went too hard. We want to provide women who are interested in running the solid foundation they need to get started in a fun, relaxing atmosphere,” said Toni Carey, co-founder of Black Girls RUN!. “Most importantly, they’ll have a network of 52,000 women across the nation to lean on for support and encouragement.” For all “Preserve the Sexy Tour” updates and to register for the event, visit www.blackgirlsrun.com. You can also follow Black Girls RUN! on Twitter at @BlackGirlsRUN or use the hashtag #PTST13.

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