A new sporting activity has seen its popularity skyrocket around the world as of late, and netizens see it as “the coolest way to stay fit.”
A new sporting activity has seen its popularity skyrocket around the world as of late, and netizens see it as “the coolest way to stay fit.”
Plogging, a concept originally from Sweden and taking the fitness world by storm, is a combination of plucking while jogging around a city or nature in search of trash to pick up and throw away. #NoGymNeeded.
Littering is a worldwide issue that continues to deteriorate our planet, and people from around the world have been remarkably quick to adopt this new running concept to help remedy the situation.
The term ‘plogging’ is a mash-up of jogging and the Swedish “plocka upp,” which means ‘to pick up’ (in this particularly case, litter). This new Scandinavian lifestyle is trending worldwide, and its origin story isn’t as unusual as one might think. The catalyst of this trend is Erik Ahlstrom, a man who had just moved to Stockholm at the time and quickly realized that a lot of rubbish was laying around the airport. He began by asking his own friends to join him on a jog to go do some good, which quickly became a habit.
They even created their own competition by comparing the pieces of rubbish they picked up.
They received tons of ‘likes’ from netizens around the world after posting their photos on social media.
The photos eventually attracted more and more people to come join their social activities.
If you’re still having trouble finding the motivation to go out there, consider this: plogging can reportedly consume up to 600 calories in half an hour!
For instance, getting down into a deep squat position while picking up garbage can help coordinate your legs while also training your core muscles.
Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic gets thrown into our oceans.
Once it’s out there, plastic waste takes hundreds of years to decompose.
Consequently, this waste has been the cause of a staggering deteriorating sea life, killing countless marine and surrounding animals which have either chocked by swallowing small pieces of trash or from the polluted waters.
More than 30 plastic bags and other wasted items have been found inside the stomach of this whale.
Plogging is a zero-cost sport and comes with many benefits, two of which are to help keep you and our planet in the best conditions possible.
“No bag, no problem.” People have found creative ways to dispose of trash found while plogging, but you don’t necessarily have to join a designated running group to start plogging.
You can plog while walking your dog…
… or make it a family activity…
It might be a romantic way to date.
… and even promote it on our own or with your loved one via your social media platforms as a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle for yourself and the environment.
In China, 50-year-old Mr.Qian has been picking up trash during his morning jogs for more than 3 years.
Photo credit：涉县广播电视台
So what are you waiting for?
Put your running shoes on,
bring your friends or family along
and go do some good!
