Going for a calm walk is a simple, reliable method for clearing your head and restoring some mental clarity amid our stressful, busy lives. However, like many concepts, walking has been rebranded on social media as the Hot Girl Walk — combining goal-setting, confidence, and gratitude to help women become their healthiest selves.
While this potential mental health revolution offers real benefits for many, it has been overtaken by influencers in their matching workout clothes and top-of-the-line headphones, who represent a more materialistic and less inclusive side to this trend than originally intended.
Mental health benefits of walking
Walking is a powerful mental health tool because, as Nichele Cihlar, Director of Training at GORUCK, explained, walking “will release endorphins which can reduce anxiety.”
Jessica Gaddy, founder of Nia Noire Therapy and Wellness, told me that “Walking has several mental health benefits from regulating cortisol — our stress hormone — to promoting a state of relaxation.” and can “reset our circadian rhythm, thus improving sleep quality and mental clarity.”
Additionally, walking encourages mindfulness by bringing attention to the body, breath, and surroundings. This curbs negative thinking and naturally lowers the stress in the body.
What are Hot Girl Walks?
The Hot Girl Walk was created by Mia Lind in 2020, as a way to support herself mentally during Covid-19, combining walking with gratitude, confidence-boosting affirmations, and goal-setting.
At the time of writing, she has cultivated a community of 123,000 women on Instagram alone who use Hot Girl Walks to support their confidence and personal growth. Community has been a huge part of the trend’s success, offering women a way to connect with like-minded people over Hot Girl Walks.
But as it went viral, the Hot Girl Walk began placing more emphasis on the uniform: consisting of matching workout sets, expensive headphones, and curated playlists and podcasts, and often focusing on influencers who fit traditional beauty standards.
What are the benefits of the Hot Girl Walk?
When performed with the original intent, Hot Girl Walks can be extremely beneficial for mental health.
Rebeca Damico, a PR Specialist at Kronus Communications, credits Hot Girl Walks with “feeling accomplished” even on days where she is unable to go to the gym, and feeling “like I did something for my brain and body.”
And Gigi Robinson, content creator and the founder of Hosts of Influence, spoke about how her version of the Hot Girl Walk has “really become part of my mental health routine” due to the walks helping “clear the mental clutter.”
Downsides of the Hot Girl Walk
Regardless, it’s impossible to ignore how the trend has morphed online. The heavy focus on material items is shifting the focus away from mental wellbeing, to a performance of staying healthy, which in itself can be a new source of insecurity.
Kristina Turnure, a health and fitness coach and the founder of Built and Balanced, warned that this can “breed comparison”, making people feel that their “walking gear or path has to be ‘perfect’ to feel worthy.”
Whilst there’s nothing inherently wrong with the fact that many of the influencers at the forefront of the trend are traditionally attractive, it can make other women who don’t see themselves reflected feel excluded and that they cannot participate in an activity that was meant to boost confidence for everyone.
Nikita Chernin, from New York, told me that while she “might not be your typical Hot Girl,” highlighting the move away from inclusivity, walking has become “a regular part of my routine to keep my mental health in check.”
The framing of the Hot Girl Walk also risks excluding men, despite walking being a beneficial activity for everyone, regardless of gender or body type. Ryan Barcley, from Glasgow, said that walking helps him “connect with nature” and “feel more grounded and relaxed”, and Nick Portello, content creator, embraces the Hot Girl Walk without letting gender get in the way; “Even though I don’t identify as a girl, I love the essence of what it means to go on a Hot Girl Walk!” For Nick, the heart and soul of the Hot Girl Walk is to “embrace your confidence and channel music that evokes boldness and flawlessness.”
Real or really annoying?
Walking remains a real, simple tool for mental health, and Mia Lind’s Hot Girl Walk brilliantly builds on this. But as the trend gained traction on social media, its original messaging got lost in a sea of materialism, perfectionism, and exclusion — a frustrating regression of a method that aimed to be a mental wellbeing pioneer.
In order to experience the true benefits of walking, we need to return to the primary message of the Hot Girl Walk. As Kristina Turnure said, “Walking should celebrate how strong and clear-headed you feel, not how “fit or aesthetic” you look. When we shift focus to energy, confidence, and mental well-being, walking becomes a tool for empowerment instead of a platform for comparison.”
Words by Jasmin Notarangelo
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