We Did A 'Hot Girl Walk' Every Day For Two Weeks. Here's What Happened
When Mia Lind first posted about the "Hot Girl Walk" on TikTok in 2021, a lot of people could relate to where she was coming from. Lind's efforts to confront her negative rumination and turn her thoughts toward three things — gratefulness, goals, and confidence — while walking four miles daily formed a welcome trend that a lot of other TikTokers (and apparently, the rest of the world) happily embraced. The pandemic had isolated all of us, and our mental health was taking a hit as a result.
But as Lind has stressed in subsequent interviews, the "hot girl walk" is not about losing weight. Four miles or walking outdoors each time are not hard and fast rules. Despite what other TikTok users have made it out to be (a chance to show off their designer leggings, perhaps ), Lind's focus has always been mental health. We decided to give this challenge a go. Being naturally more inclined toward weight training, we must confess that the idea of walking four miles every day for 14 days straight seemed daunting, especially when we quickly learned that there was no way we could do both (who has the time?).
For the sake of science, we ditched the dumbbells and persisted, and we're grateful we did. After carefully perusing Lind's official Hot Girl Walk website and reading what the creator had to say about the specifics, here's how we decided to approach it: We'd try our best to do four miles every day, but we'd settle for 2 to 3 if we couldn't. There'd also be a mixture of outdoors and indoors (because of snowstorms and such).
What the 'hot girl walk' did for our mental health
Right off the bat, we realized how challenging it is to focus on the three things you're supposed to do when on a "hot girl walk": what you're grateful for, your goals and how you're going to accomplish them, and how hot you are. We sort of tweaked the last prerequisite to "feeling confident" because it (uhm) sounded better in our heads.
The distance — four miles — loomed ahead like a "bad Monday" but we pulled on our favorite pair of leggings and shoes (it helps to wear something you feel good in, per Lind), layered up (because it was winter), and hit the pavement. We decided to go podcast/music-free and just focus on our thoughts without distractions. The first few minutes were mostly spent bringing our thoughts back to what we were supposed to be thinking about. This was surprisingly difficult.
The idea of "monkey brain" kept popping up, a Buddhist concept referring to the restless human mind that feeds our inner critic. Pulling away from thoughts like, "Did we overshare at the get together last night?," and "What am I going to make for dinner?" to "What are my goals for this year?" and "What makes me grateful?" was not easy. It took conscious effort, but we're happy to say that by the end of week one, it got easier (although we did have to rein our thoughts back in a few times). By the end of it, we were coming away from our walks with renewed perspective and evidence of how practicing gratitude can improve your mental health.
What the 'hot girl walk' did for our physical health
Despite the "hot girl walk" not being about weight loss, we couldn't help but wonder what really happens to your body when you take a hot girl walk. We lost close to three pounds by day 14, granted that we didn't do four miles every single day — 40% of it was 2-3 miles and 60% was four miles.
Some of the walking was done indoors on a treadmill, and the rest in particularly wintery conditions. On the first day of the "hot girl walk," done outdoors, it took a few minutes before we got into a comfortable rhythm. Four miles was a lot (we're not going to lie), but we completed it in under two hours. The next day, however, our legs felt like lead, and it hurt to move. Motivation to go on the walk was relatively low, but we're grateful we did. The more times we walked, the easier it became on our body. By the end of week two, two miles became almost negligible, and four miles felt a lot easier than on the first day.
We also "felt" lighter and more flexible. Despite the muscle pains from the first few days, walking definitely made our hips, calves, arms, and shoulders feel more flexible. And there's science behind this too. Walking increases blood circulation to your joints, helps you lose weight, and boosts muscle strength. It's great for cardiovascular health, improving blood pressure levels, better balance, and healthy bones. Lastly, focusing on confidence made us stand up straighter when we walked. We're hoping this helps with posture.
Things we'd recommend after trying the hot girl walk for two weeks
Thinking about your goals can feel a little unnerving, especially since you are also supposed to come up with ways to accomplish them. Depending on the time of day (before or after work), this can become a bit much on a tired brain. We'd recommend turning "goals" into "dreams" instead and thinking of ways to reach them when you're back home or the next morning. Journaling could help too.
The "hot girl walk" is best enjoyed in warmer months. We had to navigate slippery pavements, which was not entirely enjoyable (and probably not safe). Use a treadmill, listen to some music you love, or tune in to a podcast (about gratefulness and goals if you want to stick with the trend), and walk indoors. That being said, being outdoors (when conditions are safe) is absolutely invigorating. Nature and the outdoors are healing — for the mind and body. They also have a way of making it easier to turn your thoughts toward gratitude.
Try not to stress about doing four miles every single day. Removing that stress did wonders for us. It also helped us stay consistent and not give up. If you're someone who finds it particularly challenging to not let your "monkey mind" act up, skip the music/podcast and try walking in silence. We found podcasts particularly distracting on some days. Ultimately, how to get the most out of your 'hot girl walk' depends on you. Personalize it and make it your own. That's what's important.