2 days ago
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A woman's revelation about how the "Meredith Grey walk" doesn't just happen naturally has gone viral with over 39 million views, leaving the internet—and her husband—astonished.
Anyone with long hair will know the unmistakable feeling of their ponytail swinging from side to side behind them. But does it happen of its own accord, or do you have to walk a certain way to give it so much movement?
Well, on January 4, Dr. Kristy Kostalas, a cosmetic physician, shared a video on TikTok (@drkk2023) explaining that her ponytail swing is completely intentional and something she does on purpose. The clip shows her walking down a staircase, with her long, brunette hair swaying from left to right behind her.
Layered over the video, the caption reads: "My husband was today years old when he learned that the ponytail swing doesn't happen on its own."
Social media users have certainly been amazed by her revelation, leading to more than 39.5 million views and over 2.9 million likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Newsweek has contacted Kostalas via Instagram for comment.
The viral post captured plenty of attention online, as it sparked a debate among TikTok users. Some people agreed with Kostalas, saying they make their ponytail swing on purpose, while others said it just happens naturally to them.
Many people have dubbed it the "Meredith Grey walk," named after the iconic Grey's Anatomy character who had a pronounced walk that often caused her hair to swing dramatically.
So, time for the million-dollar question: why does a person's ponytail swing when they walk, jog or run?
The ponytail should be thought of as a sort of pendulum which sways from one side to the other. When a person starts walking or running, the movement of their body will emphasize its movement. The variations that people experience with their ponytail swing will depend on the force of their movement (e.g. if they have a powerful Meredith Grey strut or not), and the length and weight of their hair.
A shorter ponytail is likely to swing more than a long, heavy ponytail that weighs an awful lot more.
The TikTok Reaction
After Kostalas revealed that she intentionally makes her hair swing back and forth, many internet users were quick to share their thoughts on the matter.
The online debate that followed has led to more than 8,700 comments on the viral TikTok clip already.
One comment reads: "It happens naturally to me because of my Meredith Grey walk."
Another person wrote: "I just walk and it swings, idk how to stop it."
"Mine happens on its own because I walk like Jack Sparrow," joked another TikTok user.
But others agreed with Kostalas. "It starts accidentally, then I remember I can do it on purpose and just have fun," another comment read.
Another user responded: "I just realised how impressive it is that we can subtly control our hair movement."
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