Of all the fitness trends to explode on the scene, the Hot Girl Walk (HGW) is probably one of the most fun, friendly, and inclusive ones to try. Accessible to pretty much everyone, the viral TikTok Hot Girl Walk has been touted as a way to boost your mood and improve your fitness at the same time. But what exactly is the HGW trend? And how could the benefits of a daily walk affect your life?
Covered:
Unraveling the HGW trend: what is it?
Am I a hot girl: inclusivity and accessibility
Look the part: essential tips on HGW fashion and apparel
Walk the talk: benefits of HGW
Make it fun: tips for a more enjoyable walk
Reflection time: what we've learned
What is a Hot Girl Walk?
Started by senior college student Mia Lind in January 2021, the Hot Girl Walk is a four-mile daily stroll along a safe outdoor path or a treadmill during which you focus on mindfulness.
The heart of the HGW trend comes down to highlighting these three main things as you walk:
- What you are grateful for
- Your big dreams and goals in life
- How you are going to accomplish them
The aim is to take time out of a busy or stressful schedule to remind yourself of your appreciation for life and to spend time in mindful movement, dreaming, and planning how to manifest your most abundant life.
The TikTok trend: how did the Hot Girl Walk start?
Imagine yourself as a stressed-out college student, full of anxiety about impending exams and life in general. Mia Lind, the creator of the Hot Girl Walk, was experiencing exactly that. In the midst of the traumatic COVID-19 pandemic, she was looking for a way to get out of her head and into her body more, and so her four-mile outdoor walk began.
Although walking wasn’t currently viewed as a ‘trendy’ form of exercise, it was accessible and offered Lind the perfect antidote to being cooped up studying all day. Without even knowing the benefits of a daily walk, she started on a journey that would become a global trend within months. It’s now become so popular that Lind owns the trademark on the name Hot Girl Walk.
How to join, and where to find HGW?
Since emerging on TikTok, the HGW trend has its own website with information on joining community Hot Girl Walks in different cities across the U.S. Finding friendly faces to do outdoor fitness with is one of the best ways of sticking to a new habit and community accountability helps you to show up and keep going, even on the days when it might feel a little tough.
Even if you aren’t in the U.S., the TikTok Hot Girl Walk can be done anywhere in the world with anyone. You can do it alone or with friends. You could opt for taking your daily stroll with your favorite music, or maybe you’d prefer to be with your own thoughts undisturbed.
Can anyone participate in the Hot Girl Walk trend?
Yes, absolutely. The HGW is for everyone who wants to walk with a purpose and spend time focusing on how they are going to manifest their dreams. You don’t have to identify as a ‘girl’ to reap the benefits of a daily walk combined with movement meditation — anyone of any gender identity is welcome to join in with the trend.
If you have mobility issues, then you can shorten the distance to something that feels right for you — the four-mile mark is not set in stone. The only prerequisite is that you use the HGW trend to look inward, dedicating time to reflect on what you love about life and what you are working toward.
What are the apparel essentials for HGW?
While you don’t need much to get going with the Hot Girl Walk, there are a few things that could make your life easier as you begin this daily stroll.
Dressing the part for your Hot Girl Walk
Before you hit the streets, hills, or treadmill, make sure you’ve got the following essentials:
- Supportive shoes. Don’t get caught out wearing ill-fitting or uncomfortable shoes on your daily stroll. Invest in some good hiking boots if you are going to walk on trails and some good sneakers if you are staying on concrete paths or walking on the treadmill.
- Comfy clothing. Layers of comfortable, breathable clothing are way better than wearing one T-shirt and a big, bulky jacket. When you wear a few layers of loose-fitting clothing, you’ll be able to take off an item or two when you get warm. Leggings or sweatpants are good options for your bottom half, too.
Comfort tips for the HGW trend
Making sure you have everything you need to have a comfortable walk can be the difference between having a great time and a disastrous one.
- Water. This is a non-negotiable must-have for any kind of outdoor fitness, or indoor, for that matter. You have to make sure you stay hydrated during your Hot Girl Walk — being thirsty and parched will be a major distraction from focusing on how to manifest your dreams.
- Sun protection. If you are walking outdoors, you must apply sun protection to keep yourself from being burned. Pay particular attention to vulnerable, uncovered areas, like your shoulders and face.
- Music. If you are taking your Hot Girl Walk alone, having music as your companion can be a great way to quiet and soothe the mind. Music can also help with mood balancing, increasing your enjoyment of your daily stroll and making it easier to build the habit of walking every day.
Are there specific fashion trends associated with HGW?
One of the cool things about the HGW trend is that if you are into fitness fashion, you can combine your love for the latest exercise gear with your passion for staying fit and healthy. You can buy official Hot Girl Walk merchandise or simply show off your latest apparel when you go for your daily stroll.
What are the benefits of HGW?
The benefits of daily walks are well-studied, and the HGW trend is no different. Here are a few ways that incorporating this trend could have a positive impact on your mental and physical health:
1. Moving meditation
The founder of Hot Girl Walk used her method to take time to focus on mindfulness while walking. It’s like meditation when moving, intentionally reflecting on where you are and how you want to improve and move forward in life. Moving meditation may help to quieten a noisy mind, focus the attention where it needs to go and allow the flow of creative ideas.
2. Enhances mood
Taking yourself on a four-mile outdoor walk may help balance your mood, improve symptoms of anxiety, and allow yourself some much-needed time for deep gratitude, self-reflection, and dreaming.
3. Burns calories
Taking part in the HGW trend could help with your calorie burning if that’s included in your health and fitness goals. Depending on your current weight and speed of walking, you can expect to burn approximately 250 calories an hour during your daily stroll.
4. Improves cardiovascular function
Walking is a great way to improve the health of your cardiovascular system in a low-impact, low-stress way. It brings your heart rate up, giving your heart muscle a good workout as well as exercising your arteries and veins as they expand and contract due to increased blood flow.
How can I make my daily walk more enjoyable?
Even though you’ll be walking every day, there’s no need for it to get boring. Here are a few tips to make sure you are engaged and inspired during your daily walk:
- Keep it fresh and change your route every week
- Make multiple playlists and set your device to shuffle so you never know what song is coming
- Meet up with friends to walk and talk through your visions for a thriving future
- Listen to motivating podcasts to keep you inspired
Incorporating walks into your lifestyle
Strolling into the Hot Girl Walk trend is a wonderful way to incorporate exercise and mindfulness on a four-mile outdoor walk. Even if you don’t go the full distance or prefer to use the treadmill, you’ll still get the many mental and physical benefits of daily walking. Just make sure that you are focusing on the key elements of gratitude, visioning, and planning your route to success while you walk your way into a thriving future.
FAQ
What is the Hot Girl Walk method?
It's a four-mile outdoor walk in which you focus on gratitude, visions for the future, and ways to manifest your dreams.
Are Hot Girl Walks good for you?
Any type of daily walk is going to be beneficial for you, and the Hot Girl Walk also fuses a daily stroll with mindfulness exercises, like practicing gratitude and dreaming up your ideal future.
Who made up the Hot Girl Walk?
A college senior, Mia Lind, created the Hot Girl Walk as a way to exercise and escape the stresses of studying during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How long does a Hot Girl Walk take?
A person walking at average speed across flat ground will take approximately an hour to walk four miles — although that time may vary depending on your current fitness levels, the terrain, and the speed you walk at.
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The Hot Girl Walk trend was started in response to the need to combine exercise with intentional mindfulness practices.
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The HGW trend is a four-mile outdoor walk that can be done anywhere in the world. You don’t have to be outside — walking on the treadmill is fine, too.
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The HGW focuses on intentionally thinking about gratitude, visions for the future, and how to manifest your dreams while walking.
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Daily walking can improve both your mental and physical health in a low-stress and low-impact way.
3 resources
- The Lancet. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta analysis of 15 international cohorts.
- Gero Science. The multifaceted benefits of walking for healthy aging: from Blue Zones to molecular mechanisms.
- Current Psychology. Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: a systematic review.
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