What is a hot girl walk?

When someone first told me they were going on a hot girl walk (aka HGW), I was like “mmmm, ok?” love the confidence… In that case, I guess I’m going on a “had a kid a few years ago, and still feel like I don’t have my pre-baby body back, walk.” That has the same ring to it, right?

But no, in case you missed it… hot girl walks are a thing.

So let’s dig into the origin of the hot girl walk. Did someone hot just go for a walk down the street and start a trend? Well kinda, sorta, but not really.

The origin of the hot girl walk.

HGW in action

Tiktok, of course. At this point Tiktok is our cultural frontier, and where I get most of my information on what’s “cool” as a millennial these days. The credit of the Hot Girl Walk goes to Tiktoker Mia Lind aka @exactlyliketheothergirls who coined the term back in 2021 (although it’s having a ✨moment✨ again right now). And it actually had a lot more “rules” than I initially thought it did.

To be honest, I thought hot girl walks were just walks with an aesthetic Gen Z rebrand, but boy was I wrong. 

What is a hot girl walk?!

@exactlyliketheothergirls #greenscreen literally my best glow up advice in 45s follow if you wanna hear my whole journey #advice ♬ original sound – Mia

In its purest form, a hot girl walk consists of the below according to Mia.

• It is 4 miles long. TBH I’m not sure why this is so specific, and honestly, my trek to the coffee shop takes me just over 2 miles and that feels just right for the amount of time I can take daily before I feel like my Slack messages hit the triple digits.
• You are only allowed to think about the following: 
  • What you’re grateful for
  • Your goals
  • How hot you are (um sign me up!)
• Listen to a playlist, NOT a podcast (Mia even made an HGW playlist). And if you’re feeling negative you turn the music up. Again, a little too specific (and a love a good Crime Junkie or How I Built This walk… depending on what i’m feeling)

So maybe technically I’ve just been going on walks, not hot girl walks (bummer!). However, I have noticed that the 2022 edition of hot girl walks follows a looser code of conduct (which I am here for). 

Okay, but are they good for you? Let’s talk about the benefits. 

Getting outside to move and breathing in the fresh glorious air, is really rarely a bad thing. Like “no, please spend MORE time in front of your screen — constantly refreshing your inbox” said literally no one ever. But we sat down with our Blogilates RD, Breanna Woods, to talk through the real benefits of walking every day. (And there may be more than you think!)

1. Boosts energy – Next time you crave a nap or a cold brew at 2pm, go for a walk instead. It’s just the right amount of movement to get blood flowing, especially to the brain. This brings more oxygen to the brain and helps you feel energized. Walking also increases certain hormones that help with energy.
2. Puts you in a good mood – Walking not only relieves stress and tension but also releases endorphins. And if we learned anything from Legally Blonde, it’s that endorphins make us HAPPY! Pair your walk with some nice weather, a great podcast (we’re bending the rules, remember?), your favorite tunes, or maybe a good friend, and your bad mood doesn’t stand a chance.
3. Strengthens your immune system – One study found that walking at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days or more a week dramatically reduced days taken off work due to illness. And the people who did get sick weren’t sick as long, and their symptoms were mild.
4. Helps you live longer – Basically, walking keeps all systems in check. It keeps your heart strong, reduces blood pressure, regulates blood sugar, and has been shown to lower the risk for several types of cancer.
5. Sparks creativity – A study out of Stanford actually found that when participants were walking, their creative output increased by 60%. Let that be proof that sometimes you just need to walk away (literally) from a project you feel stuck on.

What do you need for a hot girl walk?

The short answer is, just yourself and your thoughts. Buuuut here are some of my favs things that have added a little pep to my step.

• If hot girl walks had an official short, it would be these biker shorts I officially dub the “Summer Sweats.”
• If i’m feeling sporty this high-ponytail cap is *chefs kiss*, but on days I want to channel my coastal grandmother I am obsessed with this Free People hat.
• Honestly these $20 slides from Amazon are my typical walking choice, but if i’m really going after it i’ll throw on these.
• While I dont personally use them, I do see a lot of Tiktoks feature these Bala bangles to add a little extra burn in the arm department.

@melgalmin Hot girl walk tip 5!✨💗💪🏻 #wristweights #hotgirlwalk #hotgirlhabits #mindfulnessmatters ♬ Island In The Sun – Weezer

So moral of the story, want to walk to the park 2 blocks down the road listening to Crime Junkie? Great. Want to walk a marathon and map through your goals for the next decade, faaaantastic. You do you, boo, just keep channeling that hot girl energy.

As for me until Texas starts putting the hot in hot girl walks, you catch me outside after daycare drop off walking to get my favorite Summer Moon beverage (if you’re in Austin, you understand the pure magic that is Summer Moon). 

Summer Moon in Austin, TX is known for their delicious Moon Milk® made from 7 “top secret” ingredients. It is pretty sweet, so I get a 1/8 Moon Milk.

Where do your hot girl walks take you? Share in the comments.