Back in early 2021 the phrase “hot girl walk” was born. Now, over 2 years later, I am still an avid hot girl walker. The phrase hot girl walk was coined by a TikToker named Mia Lind. Her original idea was a four mile outdoor walk where you only think about three things: what you’re grateful for, how to achieve your goals, and how hot you are. Since then, the concept of the hot girl walk (HGW) has really blown up on tiktok, and everyone has their own spin, but the main idea has stayed the same. The underlying message of every hot girl walk: get some sun, get some exercise, and feel good.
For me, a walk is a great time to get out of my head. Even at the gym, it’s too easy for me to get distracted by my phone or people around me. A hot girl walk is the perfect time to truly disconnect, while getting a good sweat in! In the summer, I’ll often opt for a hot girl walk instead of the gym or a workout class. If you walk fast/long enough, it’s an incredible workout and a great way to enjoy the sunshine. Despite its name, I believe the hot girl walk is for everyone of any gender and any age. Everyone has their own preferences, but these are my essentials for having the best hot girl walk.
Set your Goal
Unlike Mia, I don’t usually walk 4 miles during every hot girl walk. The distance of the walk changes, depending on how much time I have and what I’m up for. I also just really cater it to what feels best for me, and over the last year, I’ve figured out what distance allows me to feel like I got the best workout. For me, this is 2-3 miles, which works out to be about an hour. I tend to be a pretty fast walker anyways, but on my HGWs, I am cautious about keeping a good, brisk speed – a strut, if you will. Whatever your goal is, just make sure to set it ahead of time. Even if it’s 10 minutes, that’s great! Setting and reaching that goal is an easy way to feel accomplished. You can even push yourself. Say you usually do 30 minutes- push yourself to do 40. You’ll probably see how easy it is to add 10 minutes! I usually try not to set a destination for my HGW (it’s all about the journey), but if setting a final destination as your goal is how you can motivate yourself, then right on!
I also have found that I have to schedule my HGW into my day. Working from home, it’s too easy to get distracted and never make it outside. If I know I want to walk that day, I write it into my planner first thing in the morning. I treat it as a workout class- I know what time I’ve scheduled to walk, so I force myself to stop what I’m doing and walk when that time comes.
Do Not Disturb
Disconnecting is a huge part of the HGW experience for me. For this reason, I set a fitness focus mode on my iPhone. If you have an Apple Watch, you can even set it so that every time you start a workout, the fitness focus mode automatically kicks in. I have mine set so that I can only be contacted by calls from my favorites. This way, I won’t be distracted by texts or notifications that don’t need my immediate attention.
Setting my phone into DND is the best way for me to stay present during my walks. I put my phone into my belt bag (we’ll get into that later), and I don’t touch it until the end of my walk or when I want to snap a quick picture (we’ll get into that, too). Without the distraction of my phone, I fully embrace the scenery around me and am able to focus on whatever I’m listening to, which brings us to the third HGW essential!
Listen to Something
I definitely could not hot-girl-walk in silence, so my AirPods are a big essential for me when I walk. Depending on my mood, I’ll pick between a few options as to what I’ll listen to while I walk. Sometimes, I’ll call someone, but that’s not always my favorite because talking during your entire walk is an easy way to get out of breath quickly, and I find I can get too overwhelmed. I usually choose between music or podcasts (you can listen to OUR podcast here!). I find podcasts make the time go by faster, so if I’m dreading the walk, I’ll opt for that, but sometimes a great playlist is the perfect background for a HGW. Something I’ve never done but recently thought of is listening to an audio book during a walk. I love to read, and at the gym, I love reading my kindle on the treadmill. Walking outside would make it nearly impossible to read, but listening to a book would be super easy!
Clothing & Accessories
It may sound dramatic, but your attire plays a huge role in your hot girl walk. It’s scientifically proven that if you look better, you exercise better (okay maybe not scientifically proven…but there’s gotta be some truth behind that!). Picking the right hot girl walk outfit is super important. Instead of just staying in what you have on, put on a workout outfit that makes you feel good. As long as it’s cute and comfortable, it literally doesn’t matter what it is. The whole point is making sure YOU like the way YOU look! Shorts, leggings, an exercise dress, a workout onesie, whatever it is- just make sure you feel confident.
Although outfit is an important piece of the HGW, picking a good pair of sneakers is arguably more important. You want to look good, yes, but you also want to feel good, and picking a good quality pair of sneakers is an easy way to ensure that. I have a pair of On Cloudrift sneakers, which are probably the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. It really does feel like you’re walking on puffy clouds! I’ve had a pair of Adidas Ultraboosts for years, and they’re often my go-tos for long hot girl walks. A lot of my friends and family have Hoka sneakers that they rave about, but somehow I’ve continued to show restraint by not purchasing (*yet*). I recommend going in-store and picking a pair that feels the best on your feet.
In my opinion, the most iconic accessory for the hot girl walk is the belt bag, which is just a “hip” way of saying fanny pack. I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of the belt bag trend when it first started, but once I started wearing one for my hot girl walks, I was hooked. They may not be the most stylish bag (although now they are pretty trendy), but they are the most convenient option for walking. I, like most people, wear it across my chest, which makes it super easy to grab something on the go. You can move easily without the bag getting in your way, and it’s pretty comfortable laying across your chest. I wouldn’t be able to walk for as long or as far as I do if I didn’t have a belt bag. It gives me the security and comfort of being able to have my phone, wallet, and keys close to me at all times, without having to actually hold a thing!
Pics or It Didn’t Happen
This essential is kind of a joke, but also kind of not. Since this trend gained its following from tiktok, taking a photo or video of your hot girl walk became something that was just part of the routine. Some people will take a photo of their outfit, and others will take a photo of something they saw on their walk. You don’t even need to post these photos- they can just be for you to remember your walk. But, if you’re into it, posting about your hot girl walk can be a way to hold yourself accountable and share your progress with friends and family. It’s also a great way to document what you see on your walk. I often take photos of the flowers and scenery I see on my hot girl walks.
Wine Walks
This definitely isn’t a hot girl walk essential, but it’s too on brand not to include. The wine walk is what I would call the hot girl walk’s fun cousin. This is a phrase/concept I learned from my best friend, Mercedes, and it’s truly incredible. If a hot girl walk happens in the morning, then the wine walk happens in the evening. My favorite time to wine walk is around 6pm- after work and before dinner. It’s the perfect way to wind down. You can do this solo as well, but the wine walk is extra fun with a buddy. Basically, you just walk with a travel mug full of wine. It’s that simple, and it’s brilliant. The wine walk has many less rules compared to the hot girl walk. You can walk for as long or as little as you like, wear whatever you want, be on your phone (or not), and you don’t have to be listening to anything. The wine walk is just for the vibes, not for the exercise. If I strut on my hot girl walks, then I saunter on my wine walks. I usually will wine walk until my cup’s empty, but whatever works for you. It’s just a fun way to wind down after your day. You could even choose to do this with a different beverage- make the wine walk work for you.
No matter what you choose to wear, or how far you choose to go, or what you choose to listen to, hot girl walking is a fun way to exercise and get out of your head. It’s meant to be stress free and therapeutic. I hope these tips gave you inspiration and motivation to get out there and try a hot girl walk for yourself!
Leave a Reply