- The chilly girl walk is a trend focused on short outdoor walks without worrying about speed or distance.
- Regular outdoor walks can help boost mood, lower stress and improve sleep.
- Daily walks may be easier to stick with than intense workouts to keep you moving all season.
During winter, many people move less without realizing it, especially in places where cold temperatures make outdoor activity feel less appealing. I’m experiencing that firsthand right now. I live in New York City, where it’s currently snowing, and the idea of staying in to make a cozy pot of soup sounds far more appealing than trudging through slushy sidewalks.
At the same time, as a registered dietitian, I know that getting outside and moving my body, even in cold weather, can support overall health. So in an effort to make winter movement more of a priority, I decided to try the TikTok micro-trend known as the “chilly girl walk” partly as a way to stay consistent with movement and partly to see whether it actually made winter activity feel more doable. Here I’ll explain what a chilly girl walk is, how it went for me and what experts say about its potential health benefits.
What Is a “Chilly Girl Walk”?
The chilly girl walk is a winter adaptation of the “hot girl walk,” a trend originally popularized by creator Mia Lind. The concept is straightforward: go for a short walk outdoors during colder months, ideally during daylight hours, without focusing on pace, distance or performance.
In practice, a chilly girl walk might look like a 30-minute loop around your neighborhood, walking to run an errand, or stepping outside a few times a day between meetings. The emphasis is on consistency and exposure to fresh air and natural light rather than intensity.
Benefits of a “Chilly Girl Walk”
Helps Maintain Daily Movement
Daily movement tends to decline in winter, and walking can provide a way to counter that decrease. “Winter has a way of decreasing daily movement without us noticing,” says Serena Pratt, M.S., RDN. “Walking is one of the simplest ways to keep the body active during colder months.”
From a physiological standpoint, walking engages large muscle groups that support glucose uptake and circulation. Muscle contractions help move glucose from the bloodstream into working muscles, a process that can improve insulin sensitivity and support metabolic health. Research shows that, even at low to moderate intensities, regular walking can improve metabolic markers and cardiovascular health.
This type of low-intensity movement still provides cardiovascular benefits, notes Pratt. “Even a short walk increases circulation and gives the heart and lungs a training effect, even if it doesn’t feel like a workout,”she explains.
Can Support Mood & Stress Regulation
Seasonal changes can influence mental health, particularly when daylight is limited and people spend more time indoors. Walking outdoors combines physical activity with light exposure, both of which can contribute to better mood regulation and stress response.
Research has found that higher daily step counts are associated with fewer depressive symptoms in adults, with benefits observed even at relatively modest activity levels, suggesting that consistent movement rather than intensity may be especially important during the winter.
“Walking outside during the winter can have a real impact on mood,” says Renee Solomon, Psy.D. Movement supports neurotransmitters involved in emotional regulation, while exposure to daytime light, even on overcast days, can help support overall emotional well-being, Solomon continues.
There is also a behavioral component that becomes more relevant in winter, when routines are easier to abandon. “Completing the walk matters,” says Timothy Jeider, M.D. Following through on a simple, achievable habit can help reduce stress and support mood during a season when motivation is often lower, Jeider explains.
Reinforces Circadian Rhythm & Can Support Better Sleep
Natural light plays a key role in regulating circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates our sleep and wake cycles. During winter, people often receive less daytime light exposure due to shorter days and more time indoors.
“Walking outdoors during daylight gives the brain an important signal that supports circadian rhythm,” says Pratt. “That can help with daytime energy and make it easier to wind down at night,” she explains.
Research shows that daytime light exposure can help regulate circadian timing, which can improve sleep onset and sleep quality later in the evening. Outdoor light, even on overcast days, is significantly brighter than indoor lighting and provides a stronger signal to the brain.
In my own experience, days that included a short outdoor walk earlier in the afternoon were followed by fewer issues falling asleep, which aligns with what sleep research suggests about light exposure and movement timing.
Easier to Maintain Than High-Intensity Fitness Routines
Consistency plays a major role in long-term health outcomes, and walking can be an accessible way to stay active during colder months. Research shows that physical activity habits are more likely to stick when they fit naturally into daily routines, which helps explain why lower-barrier movement is often easier to maintain over time.
“Low-pressure forms of movement like walking are easier to integrate into daily life,” says Jeider. When goals are small and repeatable, they’re more likely to turn into habits, he explains. That same flexibility around movement can be especially helpful during winter, adds Solomon, because it can reduce all-or-nothing thinking that often derails routines when energy or motivation fluctuates, she continues.
I noticed that firsthand while trying the chilly girl walk. On days when it was cold and windy, it felt far more realistic to walk to the grocery store or run an errand on foot than to commit to a high-intensity class, get sweaty and then face the walk home in freezing temperatures. Those shorter walks still counted as movement, and they were easier to repeat consistently because they fit into my day instead of requiring me to schedule out a full workout block.
Our Expert Take
The chilly girl walk helped me bridge the gap between knowing movement is important and actually following through on it. It reframed daily exercise in a way that felt doable during a season when getting outside often slips to the bottom of my priority list.
Even with an understanding of the health benefits of movement, motivation can still be a challenge during winter. What stood out about the chilly girl walk was how low the barrier felt. Walking to the grocery store instead of taking the train counted as meaningful movement, without the added friction of scheduling a high-intensity class and then marinating in a sweaty puffer jacket in freezing temperatures afterward.
As the experts explained, consistency matters more than intensity over time. Short, repeatable walks help preserve physical and mental momentum through winter, making it easier to build on that foundation when days get longer. For now, the chilly girl walk matches the forecast and will help me keep movement realistic until the hot girl walk no longer requires strategic layering.
