"It's my ultimate goal to inspire women to be able to do that and to be confident, and to really embody what it is to have self love and take care of yourself," she tells Well+Good. "There's so much power in that, and it's time to change the narrative and for there to longer be this disparity."
Cervical cancer aside, the statistics surrounding Black women's health are startling. As a A 2016 article from U.S. News and World Report put it, “being Black is bad for your health.” Research determined “Blacks get sick at younger ages, have more severe illnesses and are aging, biologically, more rapidly than whites. Scientists call this the ‘weathering effect’, or the result of cumulative stress.”
For Wilson, these facts hit close to home. "When I think about black woman in particular, I obviously relate, identify and connect deeply, because I am a black woman," she says. It is because of this that she's decided to lead by example, and show women in her community just how important it is to prioritize their wellbeing.
Below, she shares the three most important items on her wellness resumé that "feed her soul" in the hopes that she can inspire other women to do the same.
The wellness practices Ciara Wilson swears by
1. Prioritizing her annual exams
Wilson puts wellness at the forefront of her life, and her annual wellbeing exams—which involve getting checked for cervical cancer—are at the top of the list. "I want to be here for as long as I can to witness all of the precious moments with my kids, and part of that is making sure I'm on top of things with my annual women's wellness exam," she says. "I actually look forward to that exam, and for my overall wellness I also do an EKG test and check all of my vitals It can be a little bit of a process, but it's the best feeling knowing that I've dotted my Is and crossed my Ts on the health side—that's really important to me."
2. Taking time for self care
Wilson's approach to self care is all about the little things, which add up to make a big difference. "Sometimes you just have to put the world on pause, and I'm really working on mastering that for myself so I can make sure I'm feeding my soul and giving it what it needs," she says. "Even just the simple things, like taking a break and putting away my phone. I press pause to just enjoy time with my girls, my husband and I make sure we have date night at least once a week, and I love taking care of my skin and getting my hair done." For Wilson, all of these small acts of self care simply feel good, "which really makes a difference," she says.
3. Moving her body
"Working out helps me feed my soul in a really great way," says Wilson, adding that she "really enjoys" moving and being active. These days, her go-to workouts are Peloton rides with Ally Love, plus strength-training sessions with her trainer, Decker Davis. "We do everything from plyometrics to weight lifting to cardio to quick sprints," says Wilson. "We're always being strategic, and I like being challenged and walking into the gym and not knowing what to expect."
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