There’s a hot new trend in fitness and it’s not just about looking great. “Plogging” is about getting the environment in shape, as well.
From the land that brought us IKEA, Skype and Spotify, Sweden is once again responsible for getting Americans woke.
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Plogging, which is basically the act of picking up trash while you jog — a mashup of the words “plucking” and “jogging” — has been making the hashtag rounds on Instagram, so you know it’s real.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfNMwVLnwxj/
Certified personal trainer and behavioral change therapist Charles F. Porter tells Moneyish:
There are two great things about this type of exercise. You get the added benefit of carrying a few extra pounds and you’re bending over and doing squats, which is a move that’s fundamental to your everyday life. You’re getting a full body workout.
It’s also just about the least selfish physical activity you can do. Says Porter, “You’re helping the planet and that can encourage others to participate, especially if it’s a social media phenomenon, everyone wants to jump on that bandwagon.”
According to Moneyish, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates Americans generate 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day, with the most common items consisting of food, paper, plastics, wood, metals and yard trimmings.
Seattle-based ultramarathon runner Margaret Young tells Moneyish this is nothing new to runners, but it’s still cool:
It’s great that plogging is a trending word and people will think it’s Nordicly cool to pick up trash, but most trail runners and leave-no-trace believers have been practicing this already. My pockets are usually stuffed with other people’s trash when I get home from a hike or run.
She adds, “It seems silly that we need to have a special word for something that people should be doing anyway, but if it gets the trash picked up, I’m all for it.”
