Why hot Girl Walks Work
It’s 2009 and Fitbit has just released their new watch that tracks your steps. It’s been recommended to walk 10,000 steps per day and you are on a mission to: Make. This. Happen…
How long did that last? Maybe a couple weeks? Months? Perhaps a year? If you made it to a year, you are truly a master, and you must show the rest of us quitters your magic tricks!
It is common knowledge humans need to exercise, we sadly cannot spend our lives sitting and watching Netflix everyday with a takeaway (however appealing that may be). But when a doctor tells us to exercise more, we assume spending hours at the gym or to pick a sport (and if you’re anything like me, you would run and hide during any sport day at school). The last type of exercise we imagine is walking. You think, “walking? HA, as if that’s going to help me, I walk everyday”.
Wrong! Scientists claim it does wonders for us.
As little as 30 minutes of daily walking, you can reduce your chance of heart disease by 19%, strengthen bones and muscle, plus boast to everyone that you walk everyday!
In 2022, 1 in 8 people worldwide are obese and this number could continue to grow. A large reason for this could be due to growing commitments at work, family and mental health, which do ultimately control a vast majority of our days, however, we as a society love to use the word ‘busy’, and we throw this word around regularly as an excuse for not prioritising ourselves.
Interestingly we are not ‘busy’ watching movies or spending hours scrolling on our phone — an activity that proves to be detrimental to our mental wellbeing. In a global study it’s been reported that people spend on average 7 hours daily on screen time and Gen Z spend an average of 9 hours. That’s more time spent on our screens than what experts recommend for the amount of time we should spend sleeping!
Not only can walking benefit us physically, but mentally too. It’s a release from the boundaries of our office or home, and it’s a chance to reflect on how we feel in the present moment and to take some time for ourselves. A study by Madaan, found that even if an individual was to take three 10 minute walks daily, evidence would show that those would experience a reduction in anxiety, depression, negative mood and vast improvements in their self-esteem and brain function. What’s more, walking outside in particular can increase your creativity. In a recent experiment, scientist Oppezzo established that walking largely outdoors compared to on a treadmill, increased participants’ flow of ideas.
The beauty of walking is that it is extremely accessible. No need for expensive equipment or personal trainers. Simply some shoes.
A way to make your walk a more enjoyable experience rather than a task, is to incorporate the mindset of a ‘Hot Girl Walk’. Essentially this hashtag was created on TikTok to display walks in a more fun and interactive way. Those participating in the ‘movement’ would wear an outfit that made them feel good, be it loose sweatpants or a matching yoga set. Members would then proceed to put on some comfortable trainers, carry a water bottle (hydration is key!), and a pair of headphones (optional).
The time was utilised purely for listening to their favourite artist or podcast or to simply practise some mindfulness. Showing appreciation for the environment they find themselves walking in, the weather perhaps or even the people they meet eyes with.
Originally created in 2020 during the pandemic as a way to deal with the effects of isolation, Mia (the founder of Hot Girl Walks) asked individuals to focus on 3 main things: Gratitude, Goals and a reminder of how truly ‘hot’ you are!
Mia found that by taking these walks daily, she felt an increase in her confidence, happier in her day-to-day life and even felt more successful. Mia influenced those in not only her own community to get on the streets and walk, but groups of people across all kinds of cities in the whole world! Hot Girl Walks took place in Miami, Sydney, Dublin, Paris and Berlin (to name a few!), allowing those who may lack the motivation to go out on walk, to have the support of hundreds of other women. The initiative has helped empower people and to strengthen groups of people who may have otherwise never met.
With over 600 million views on various media platforms collectively, dozens of small ‘Hot Girl Walk’ communities created worldwide, and 4 years since the beginning of this phenomenon, I think it’s fair to say that Hot Girl Walks are here to stay.
What have you got to lose?
