Worthwhile wellness: ‘hot girl walks’
Written by Elizabeth Groening
I hit a low point a few days before my college graduation in June. Sitting alongside friends from my master’s cohort, excitement filled the crowded bar’s sticky air. But there was also a melancholy slowing me down like molasses. I’d gotten so used to seeing their faces on Zoom that being with them made me nostalgic for lost memories. Not only that, but I was wearing sweatpants and constantly checking my phone for a text that wouldn’t come. It wasn’t cute.
Nonetheless, my blues dissipated when my friend Mia and I clinked our vodka limeades together and chanted, “Hot girl summer!” Somehow, every time we said the phrase — originated by my queen Megan Thee Stallion — I suddenly felt magical spurts of optimism for the upcoming months.
What is a “hot girl summer”?
To me, having a “hot girl summer” isn’t based on physical looks. Instead, it’s all about confidence. Urban Dictionary’s definition is spot on: “a summer where you are in charge of your own happiness.”
As my first post-grad summer comes to a close, however, I’m realizing how little I stuck to those drunken resolutions. Between having a full-time internship, job hunting and constantly questioning my existence, I’ve taken little care of myself.
My “stressed girl summer” hit the point where I felt like a child who’d spent too much time in the sun. Experiencing a severe case of burnout, where everything turned fuzzy and I could hardly hold my head up, finally unveiled to me the importance of practicing self-care. Saying “hot girl summer” wasn’t enough — I needed to put in mindful effort.
To heal from the uneasiness that was this summer, I tested out a subgenre of the “hot girl summer” hype that’s rising in popularity — the “hot girl walk.” The hashtag for “hot girl walk” currently has 30.6 views on TikTok where users of all genders and backgrounds share what kind of walk is stress-relieving for them. Some dawdle outside to a podcast while others step quickly on a treadmill to hip hop music.
Excited by how customizable this trend is — and eager to minimize my quarter-life crisis — I tried these four “hot girl walks”:
Hot girl walk #1: Connecting with nature and angst
I’d spent the week before this first walk inside, sick and exhausted from overworking myself. Therefore, I was excited to loop around the trail at a park near my house, feel the sunshine against my skin and hopefully de-stress. According to Oprah Daily, walking outdoors relieves anxiety, aids weight loss, improves digestion and sleep, and even boosts creativity levels — all the key ingredients to a “hot girl summer”!
I ventured outside around 6 p.m. after a day of catching up on emails and “Love Island UK.” Living in the balmy desert of New Mexico, the 82 degree weather and slight evening breeze was ideal. As I swiftly marched along the uphill path, I passed by other walkers, lizards, butterflies and hummingbirds. I felt inexplicably anxious, so I cranked up an angsty playlist and continuously reminded myself to breathe. In total, I walked three laps, which came to 2.6 miles and 5,886 steps. When I returned home, I still felt tense, but was happy, sweaty and proud that I had moved my body.
Hot girl walk #2: vibing in Trader Joe’s
My bum was embarrassingly sore from that jaunt around the park. As a result, I took it easy and strolled around my happy place, Trader Joe’s. Although it wasn’t a strenuous walk, it was nice to get out of the house and chill out among the plants and snacks. Forbes attributes the calming effects of wandering around TJ’s to its “great products and value without the stodginess and stress.” On top of that, there’s a cute employee at my local TJ’s that made this a truly thrilling “hot girl walk.”
Hot girl walk #3: trudging up the treadmill
Believe it or not, the “12-3-30” workout is an even bigger walking trend on TikTok than the “hot girl walk” itself, which makes it the ultimate “hot girl walk.” Health describes it as “soothingly straightforward: You set your treadmill to an incline of 12 and a speed of 3 miles per hour and then walk for 30 minutes.” TikTok star Lauren Giraldo self-identifies as the “mother of the ‘12-3-30’” and claims that she lost 30 pounds by doing the exercise regularly.
My butt was less sore and I was ready to go ham on the treadmill. After hours of working on the computer, I was tempted to stay home and take a nap. But I set off to the gym around 2 p.m. in honor of this “hot girl walk” quest. I set the treadmill to “12-3-10,” and although I was moving quite slowly, the intensity of the slope had me sweating within the first five minutes. I wasn’t only working out my legs, but my arms and abs as well. Ten minutes in, I was huffing and puffing. Watching lighthearted YouTube videos helped the 30 minutes fly by. When I reached the end, my legs (and mind) felt like jello — loose and unbothered. According to the treadmill stats, I walked 1.5 miles and burned 330 calories, which made me feel more accomplished and soothed than if I’d taken a nap.
Hot girl walk #4: Birkenstock around the block
My mom and I both had long days at work, so after dinner we went on a casual excursion around our neighborhood. We threw on our waterproof Birkenstocks, which are surprisingly comfortable walking shoes. During our brief but challenging trek, we caught each other up on the craziness of our days and admired our neighbors’ yards. EverWalk, a community of worldwide walkers, reports that walking with a friend not only makes the exercise more fun, but that having a conversation while walking helps you to breathe and burn more calories. This rang true with each step my mom and I took. Out of all my “hot girl walks,” I felt exceptionally relaxed on this one because I wasn’t left alone with my thoughts.
So, did “hot girl walks” help me feel ... well, any hotter?
In Gracie Abrams’ song “Mess It Up,” she sings, “I took up walking to turn it all off.” Obviously, going on walks this past week didn’t flip a switch and cure all the uncertainties that go hand-in-hand with graduating college. Part of me is still the lonely and indecisive girl sitting in that bar back in June.
However, my girl Gracie is right. I’ll be implementing “hot girl walks” into my daily routine because they not only make me feel more confident in my body, but they ease my post-grad freak-outs. Through this experience, I discovered that my ideal “hot girl walk” is outside, preferably accompanied by upbeat music, fun pop culture podcasts or a friend. Moving my body outdoors reminded me how miniscule my problems are and how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful place.
Every single step I took — whether I was moving fast to work out my body or moseying around to clear my mind — helped me love myself a little more and worry a little less about the future. I may not know what job is right for me or who I’m meant to be with, but as long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, it won’t matter.
