Strava partners with Hot Girl Walk creator to help women stay active

The American fitness tracker Strava has partnered with the Hot Girl Walk creator to empower women to exercise and stay active.

Strava’s partnership ahead of Women’s International Day aims to raise funds to benefit the global initiatives GRLS and the ONSIDE Fund, by the women’s fund Women Win, and empower girls to become better equipped to exercise their rights through sports and play.

Studies show that 91 per cent of active women aged 25-39 say working out is as much for their mental health as their physical health.

However, with external factors like social perceptions and harassment, women dedicate less time to physical activity than their male counterparts.

The Hot Girl Walk global challenge is a four-mile, outdoor walk that helps women build confidence through movement, serving as a dedicated time for self-reflection.

Mia Lind created the Hot Girl Walk in 2020, during the pandemic, as a way to deal with the negative impacts of isolation. She went on four-mile walks, confronting her negative self-talk, and focusing on positive, aspirational thoughts and ideas.

“I created the Hot Girl Walk to encourage other women to get active in a way that helps their mental health—it’s not just about walking,” Lind explained.

“The Hot Girl Walk is about building self-confidence, mindfulness, and community.

“I’m excited for Strava’s community to join the Hot Girl Walk movement and support these important charities.”

For every challenge completion on the app, Strava will donate US$4 (up to US$250,000) to GRLS and the ONSIDE Fund.

“Our commitment to women’s equity and inclusion in sport and empowering activity in their daily lives is fully integrated to Strava’s mission,” said Zipporah Allen, chief business officer at Strava.

“Walking has emerged on Strava as one of our most popular activity types, and we see that women are 60 per cent more likely than their male counterparts to upload a walk to Strava.

“This International Women’s Day, the Strava community is harnessing the power of our collective movement with Hot Girl Walk United.

“These programmes are invested in the next generation of sport and play, impacting the lives of over four million adolescent girls and young women in over 100 countries.”

Nicole Matuska, director of GRLS and the ONSIDE Fund, added: “For girls, women and non-binary people, sport is a powerful tool to challenge gender norms and stereotypes, regain ownership of their bodies, experience joy, freedom and pleasure, and rebuild their lives after trauma.

“GRLS’ mission is to advance the playing field that progresses gender equity in sports and through play.

“We create spaces and opportunities for girls and women to lead. And at the systemic level, we aim to dismantle traditional power dynamics through feminist, decolonised and democratic practices.”