If you’ve ever strutted down the street with a perfect playlist blasting through your headphones and thought, “Wow, I feel so good about myself right now,” then you’ve already been on a hot girl walk. It’s a feeling that’s existed for ages, but now that TikTok has given it a name, thousands of people go on their own hot girl walks every day — and see tons of health benefits as a result.
The trend, started by TikToker Mia — who calls herself the CEO of the Hot Girl Walk™ — is definitely striking a chord. The hashtag has over 48 million views with thousands of videos showing users on their very own hot girl walk — some of which strut on a treadmill, stroll down the street, or saunter through a park. All instances are basically people showing off how good the workout makes them feel. (“Don’t put the treadmill on 4.1 mph speed and strut to “Run the World” by Beyoncé unless you wanna feel like YOU run the world,” one user captioned her tread session, just to give you an idea.)
There is one rule, Mia says, and it’s that you’re only allowed to think about three things: what you’re grateful for, your goals and how you’re going to achieve them, and, of course, how hot you are. It’s basically a positive-vibes-only stroll that’s meant to provide a nice dose of self-esteem. If a negative or stressful thought creeps into your brain, the idea is to just turn up your playlist (whether it’s Britney, Beyoncé, or Rihanna), drown it out, and keep on walking.
The most important part of a hot girl walk is carrying its positive energy with you for the rest of the day. Physical fitness isn’t the main point, but Mia says there are a bunch of health benefits that rack up on the side, especially if you walk at a quick pace. Here, fitness experts break down all the positive side effects of a hot girl walk that make it a legit workout.
The Benefits Of A Hot Girl Walk
Ideally, a hot girl walk should be four miles long, or about 10,000 steps. If you keep your pace at 3 to 4 mph, that should take about an hour, says Vanessa Liu, a certified fitness trainer and nutritionist. While a one-mile walk totally counts as exercise, regular four-mile walks can do even more to improve your overall health.
For starters, a walk is considered a super effective form of cardio exercise, says certified personal trainer Shanda Sullivan. “When you take a walk, you are increasing your blood flow which, in turn, helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” she tells Bustle. “It's also a great alternative to high-intensity workouts, offering many of the same heart-healthy benefits.”
Go for hot girl walks on a regular basis and you’ll likely notice that you get stronger, too. According to Sullivan, walking helps strengthen the leg muscles — like the hamstrings and quads — and it also targets your glutes and core. If you’re doing your strut workout on a treadmill, Sullivan recommends boosting the incline a bit for added strength training.
While the most important aspect of a hot girl walk is mental, the physical act of walking helps with that, too. “Walking has been shown to boost the mood because it releases endorphins, which are neurochemicals that can relieve pain and reduce emotional stress,” says Liu. “It also increases your mental attentiveness by increasing blood flow to the brain.” (Maybe that’s why it’s a good time to focus on achieving your goals.)
The next time you want to feel good, think positive thoughts, and get in a solid workout, a hot girl walk might be where it’s at. As Liu says, “It’s a refreshing way to get moving by encouraging you to focus on ‘deep health,’” which she says covers the physical, the mental, and everywhere in between.
Studies referenced:
Carter SE, Draijer R, Holder SM, Brown L, Thijssen DHJ, Hopkins ND. Regular walking breaks prevent the decline in cerebral blood flow associated with prolonged sitting. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2018 Sep 1;125(3):790-798. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00310.2018. Epub 2018 Jun 7. PMID: 29878870.
Gotink, R. A., Hermans, K. S., Geschwind, N., De Nooij, R., De Groot, W. T., & Speckens, A. E. (2016). Mindfulness and mood stimulate each other in an upward spiral: a mindful walking intervention using experience sampling. Mindfulness, 7(5), 1114–1122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0550-8.
Murtagh, E. M., Murphy, M. H., & Boone-Heinonen, J. (2010). Walking: the first steps in cardiovascular disease prevention. Current opinion in cardiology, 25(5), 490–496. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0b013e32833ce972.
Experts:
Vanessa Liu, certified fitness trainer and nutritionist
Shanda Sullivan, certified personal trainer
