Hot Girl Summer, but Make It Athletic: A Guide to Winning On and Off the Field
Everyone knows that the secret behind the best Hot Girl Summer is feeling your best so you can play your best. This summer, it’s Hot Girl Summer: Athletic Edition. Think power. Think grit. Think sweat, sparkle, and unapologetic ambition. Because let’s be real, female athletes are the blueprint. Here’s your playbook to redefine what it means to win this summer.
Dress like an MVP
Whether you're running drills or running errands, dressing like an athlete is a whole vibe. It’s like “model-off-duty” but make it “athlete-off-duty”. From Serena’s custom Nike catsuits to WNBA tunnel fits, athletic fashion isn’t just performance. It’s power. Mix function and flex. Rock a cute workout set with a new pair of Asics. Pair your team jersey with gold hoops. Think: glamor with grit. You don’t have to be in uniform to dress like a competitor. Bonus points for repping your favorite women’s teams.
Hydrate like You’re Running a Marathon
Hot girls don’t just hydrate, they replenish. Electrolytes aren’t just for chugging after a hard workout; they’re part of the lifestyle. Whether you're chasing PRs or chasing sunlight, stay hydrated like you’ve just crossed the finish line in the LA Marathon. Water isn’t just for performance, it’s for glow. Hydration fuels your energy, focus, skin, sleep, and your everything. That post-practice skin glow? Not just the sweat, it’s the hydration working from the inside out.
Grab a neon shaker, mix up your favorite hydration blend, and keep it cute. Here’s a water bottle and some electrolytes we are obsessed with.
Train for Power, Not Size
This summer, we’re working out because we love our bodies, not because we’re trying to shrink them. Hot Girl Summer isn’t about sculpting a “bikini body.” Your body in a bikini is already a bikini body. We’re training for strength. For confidence. For endorphins. For the post-sprint high that hits better than your crush’s texts. Movement is celebration, not punishment. It’s about feeling powerful in your body. So throw on your favorite matching set, blast the playlist that makes you feel unstoppable, and train like the strong, hot, wildly capable human you are. Because feeling good > fitting in.
Take Up Space– Literally
(Simone Biles showcasing her skills for Team USA at the Olympics. Lindsey Wasson/Reuters)
Hot Girls Don’t Shrink. They Dominate.
Whether that’s taking the shot, grabbing the mic, or walking into a room like it belongs to them, hot girls shine their own light. Athletes have never asked for permission to take up space; they’ve just claimed it. Look at the WNBA, selling out arenas and dropping fits that shut down entire timelines. Look at Olympic gymnasts flipping physics. Watch women in track explode off the blocks with power that you can feel through the screen. And no, this isn’t just physical. It’s a mindset. It’s standing tall in your body, your confidence, and your ambition. This summer, expand. In your goals, your presence, your joy, your voice. The sidelines were never the assignment.
Romanticize Recovery
Whoever Said Rest is Lazy Needs to Know that it’s Legendary.
Recovery is where real gains are made, and hot girls know that going hard means resting hard, too. Athletes take recovery seriously, and you should too! Whether it’s a full-body stretch session, an hour-long nap, or a skincare routine that feels like a love letter to your future self, recovery is how you stay in the game. Think: post-workout smoothie in one hand, ice roller in the other. Or swapping your usual scroll for a yoga session. Your nervous system deserves peace. Your muscles deserve softness. And your mind? She deserves grace.
So go ahead and book the facial, take the long bath, cue the slow jams, and say no when you need to. Rest is hot. Recovery is power. Because being your strongest self starts with taking care of every part of you, not just the one that shows up on the leaderboard.
Win Something
(The members of the U.S. team, celebrating their win as a team / Getty Images)
Even if it’s just your local rec league volleyball game or running a mile straight, everyone deserves a W. Get in the game this summer. Set some goals and achieve them! That W? Make it yours. This Hot Girl Summer is about showing up for yourself, it’s about feeling proud of how far you’ve come, and letting yourself celebrate it. Celebrate every personal best like it’s a national championship. Text the group chat, do the dance, flex in the mirror. Winning is a mindset. And this summer, you’re undefeated.