What if someone told you that you could get fit while saving the planet at the same time? Yes, a new kind of workout trend is indeed emerging globally, which is beneficial for both your body and the environment. The new fitness trend, called Plogging, is a popular global phenomenon, allowing individuals to get in shape while taking care of the environment simultaneously.
This workout was started in Sweden, This is an eco-friendly fitness activity that is a simple and satisfying activity. Plogging first started as a solo jogging activity, but now it has turned into a mindful mission to do with a group of people.
You don’t need any fancy equipment or tools or any gym membership, you need a pair of shoes, a bag to collect garbage, and a sense of responsibility towards the environment.
Let’s explore what plogging is exactly and why this eco-friendly workout has become adopted by fitness and environmental lovers around the globe.
What is Plogging?
Plogging is the perfect exercise for nature-loving runners. Plogging is combining jogging with trash-picking. This workout was started by Erik Ahlstrom in Sweden in 2016 to clean up trash and work out at the same time. The plogging word is a combination of jogging and plucking or called it as plocka up in the Swedish language.
In a plogging workout, you need to pick up any trash on your way when you are running or walking, just put that trash in a bag, and continue you’re running or walking. This Swedish trend is slowly catching up globally. Instagram is vibrating with the new hashtag, plogging. Nowadays, ploggers from all over the world are sharing their routes to encourage more individuals. However, the eco-friendly fitness trend started in Sweden, as unsurprisingly, Sweden is one of the most eco-friendly countries in the world.
The Benefits of Plogging:
Plogging benefits your health, the environment of the Earth, and other living beings. Let’s discuss the benefits of plogging in detail:
Fitness:
Plogging can add extra quality to your regular jog, as it incorporates squats and lunges while you’re picking up trash. It is a full-body fitness activity that burns calories and tones muscles, too.
Environmental Impact:
By collecting the garbage from the surroundings, the ploggers are making a positive impact on our surroundings. The pieces of trash removed from the environment are a step toward a cleaner planet.
Community Building:
Plogging turns into a group activity that inspires people to develop a habit of cleaning the environment. It is a great idea to connect with other individuals and inspire them to join the movement. By plogging, you will help make your surroundings, such as your neighborhood, favorite parks, trails, beaches, and waterways, purified so everyone can enjoy.
Connect with Nature:
Plogging automatically gets you closer to nature, as you are running across the parks, jogging tracks, and green spaces in your city. So you become more aware of your surroundings and need to protect them.
Protect Wildlife:
Plogging offers big benefits to human beings and also protects wildlife and plants from harm. Removing trash from the surroundings reduces the risk of harm to the ecosystems. Plogging removes the trash that animals, birds, and other wildlife could mistake for food.
Boost your metabolism:
Plogging is a high-intensity interval training workout where you run fast, stop to pick up litter, and then continue running or cycling, or walking. It provides many benefits, from boosting your metabolism to lowering your resting heart rate.
Environmental protection with plogging:
Reducing trash from the cities:
Plogging is just beyond the typical running, jogging, or walking. As you look at the sidewalk or footpath, you will be surprised at how many discarded bottles, wrappers, waste material, and other trash are spread over the surroundings. By cleaning that garbage from your route, you make the environment clean and protect waterways.
Adopting a sustainable lifestyle:
Plogging is not just about cleaning the environment. It is about to embrace an eco-conscious lifestyle. Individuals become more mindful of their habits.
Developing environmental awareness:
Ploggers encourage individuals about the environment and aware about reduce waste. Through their actions, ploggers are inspiring others to take responsibility for cleaning their surroundings.
What to take for plogging?
You need to take some important stuff with you while going plogging. Here is the list:
Tool to pick up the trash:
Bring the trash picker tool, which helps you to pick the trash easily without touching it. You can use disposable or washable hand gloves if you don’t have a track picker with you.
Trash bags:
Large bags to collect all kinds of trash, from paper and wrappers to metal scraps, and waste material as well.
Hand sanitizer:
After collecting the garbage, you need to clean your hands. If you don’t have a public bathroom to wash in the nearby area, then hand sanitizer will help you clean your hands.
Your typical running stuff:
Make sure that you have the running stuff you usually take on for outings, like a water bottle, coat, or jacket according to the weather, snacks, and of course, trash pickup bags.
How to get started on plogging?
- While plogging is usually designed for running, anyone can participate in plogging.
- It is easy to do solo, but if you do it with a group can make your activity more fun.
- Start with something small, you can start to plog in a nearby park, or small area in your surroundings, or a jogging track.
- If you love hiking, keep a trash bag in your backpack and pick up waste that you find along your way.
- Involve other individuals in this activity by organizing an event, reaching out to the local running group, neighborhood email list, or posting on social media.
Conclusion:
Plogging is not just a workout or fitness routine, but it is a mindful activity to encourage individuals to create a positive impact on our environment. With the perfect blend of exercise with trash collection, you can contribute to an eco-friendly environment while grabbing one bag of trash at a time. So let’s start plogging today itself and be part of a conscious and eco-friendly society.
FAQ:
Q.1. What exactly is plogging?
Ans: Plogging is a new fitness trend that is a great combination of jogging with picking up trash. Plogging was introduced in Sweden. The word plogging comes from the Swedish word plocka, up means picking, and jogging.
Q.2. What should one bring with them when going to plogging?
Ans: The basic things you can bring with like a comfortable pair of shoes, hand gloves, a trash bag or reusable sack, and grabber tools if needed.
Q.3. How can I encourage other individuals to join plogging?
Ans: You can encourage others to join blogging by sharing your plogging activity on social media, organizing group events, joining plogging communities, talking with your neighbour about plogging, and involving your family in a group activity.