Hot Girl Walks are trending, and for good reason. The walking meditation practice just might boost your health, confidence, and well-being, without breaking the bank.
Whether you want a workout plan that’s more TikTok-chic than gym fanatic or you’re seeking bolstered self-confidence, Hot Girl Walks are just what your best life ordered. The name may sound superficial to the uninitiated, but TikToker Mia Lind, whose bio reads “Creator of the Hot Girl Walk,” tells followers the practice is a mindfulness exercise that is as much about your mental and emotional well-being as it is about your body. And despite the name, the walks aren’t about appearing a particular way.
Hot Girl Walks Offer Time for Mindful Walking Meditation
In a video she posted in February 2021, Lind debunked the notion that the playfully named Hot Girl Walks are a weight loss trend. She says that rather than focusing on the negative during this outdoor mindful walking practice, you should contemplate three things: what you’re grateful for, your hotness, and your goals. She explains that #hotgirlwalks are really just opportunities to think about all of your goals, hopes, and dreams. In other words, Hot Girl Walks are about building confidence so you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and the self-love you generate (and so deserve!) during this time will carry on throughout the rest of your day.
Interested in learning more? Check out Positive Affirmations to Start Your Day
Why Hot Girl Walks Can Improve Your Health
Gaby Pilson, MSc, an outdoor expedition guide with a master’s degree in outdoor education, told DailyOM she can understand why Hot Girl Walks are trending.
“I think Hot Girl Walks have become so popular because they’re a simple, actionable, and low-cost way to stay active and improve your self-image,” she said. “Combining these three different features into a single activity makes it more accessible for a wide range of people.” Pilson also notes that because you get to define your desired “hotness,” the practice “pushes back on the idea that you need to meet conventional beauty standards to be a successful and happy person.”
That happiness might flourish as you walk. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, gratitude has been consistently linked with positive emotions. Counting your blessings can also help foster positive experiences and relationships while helping you better navigate adversity.
And, of course, walking has a range of benefits. A data analysis conducted by the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published in March 2020, showed that people who walked 8,000 steps a day, or around 4 miles, significantly reduced their risk of death from cancer or heart disease compared to people who took half as many steps.
A Brazilian study, published in 2016 in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, linked walking 10,000 daily steps with lower levels of anger, anxiety, depression, confusion, and fatigue — although you may not need to go that far. Other research, published in the Health Promotion Perspectives journal, points to a 10-minute brisk walking meditation as an effective way to boost your mood.
The fact that Hot Girl Walks take place outdoors may bolster these perks further. From reduced stress and lighter moods to higher levels of empathy and cooperation, many benefits have been attributed to spending time in nature, says a 2020 article from the American Psychological Association. And couldn’t we all use a bit of time away from the news and social media?
How to Go on a Hot Girl Walk
As long as you can go for a stroll, you can engage in Hot Girl Walks. Lind personally likes to aim for a 4-mile walk, but you can walk any distance you wish that is right for you. As for the pace, that’s up to you, too. Many people walk around 3 miles per hour, but that may depend on factors like your height, physical abilities, and fitness level. Regardless, speed and distance aren’t the point of Hot Girl Walks. Focus more on your emotional goals and what you plan to ponder than “the numbers” (unless math fervor is part of your hotness, of course). The only must is concentration on gratitude, goals, and, of course, how just freakin’ hot you are.
You may want to go music-free so you can focus fully on being with your thoughts, or you may want to listen to a Hot Girl Walk playlist or other uplifting music or podcasts. The goal is positivity, so choose material that helps you feel grateful, motivated, and inspired.
Then suit up in comfortable clothes (supportive shoes are key), cue up your selected audio (if desired), and go for it. You may want to listen on speaker or with just one earbud, so you can stay aware of your surroundings. If walking with a friend while discussing gratitude and goals appeals to you most, you could do that, too.
Making the Most of Hot Girl Walks
Like any practice, Hot Girl Walks aren’t without potential drawbacks, according to Pilson, especially in terms of toxic positivity. “An artificially positive outlook can force people to deny their own negative emotions, which isn’t healthy,” she says.
So don’t rely on Hot Girl Walks as a means of escaping difficult emotions you could use support around, or as an alternative to therapy or other aids you might need.
Do rely on them for self-care, a dose of nature, a chance to move your body, and some meaningful imagining.
Set an intention for your Hot Girl Walk, suggests Jeanette Ortega-Hewitt, wellness expert, author, and creator of Bootoga Lifestyle, whom DailyOM spoke with for this story. If your mind drifts off course, bring yourself back to those intentions and all you’re experiencing.
She also recommends eating a snack containing complex carbohydrates and lean protein beforehand and staying well hydrated. “If you don’t like to eat before a hike, try a protein shake and mix in some yummy berries or bananas,” she adds. Doing so will aid in your recovery, she says, and help keep the emotional boost going versus shifting to depletion.
After gratitude-focused meditation walks of her own, Ortega-Hewitt notices “immediate peace, joy, childlike awe, and stillness” in her thoughts. “My heart and soul get filled up like a fuel tank,” she adds.
After your Hot Girl Walks, relish those feelings, knowing you’ve done yourself and your body good. Then take them out into the world as you exude your own unique flavor of hotness.
