Plogging: doing sport with nature in mind

Plogging: doing sport with nature in mind

You can not only get rid of extra pounds, but also help the environment.

Ever noticed in the city people running around with bags and collecting garbage? Those are ploggers. They combine exercise with cleaning. This way you can not only lose weight or get in shape after quarantine, but also do your part in the fight against environmental problems. Let’s find out what plogging is and how popular it is in Russia.

What is plogging?

Plogging combines two modern trends: healthy lifestyle and care for the environment. The movement originated in Sweden in 2016, founded by eco-activist Erik Ahlström. The name comes from the words “jogging” (Swedish for “jogging”) and “plocka upp” (Swedish for “picking up”). Plogging differs from jogging in that you take a bag with you and pick up any trash you encounter along the way.

To pick up trash, you have to constantly squat and bend over. In addition, as you travel, the container gradually fills up and the bag becomes heavier. This type of training is called running with a complex load: during the performance all the muscles of the body are involved.

How to do plogging?

For plogging you will need running shoes, gloves and two garbage bags.

After the run, the trash should be sent for recycling. What can’t be recycled can be thrown in the container. Of course, this will not solve the global environmental problem at once. But it will help to make your city cleaner. In addition, the more ploggers there are, the greater the positive effect.

Plogging can be done alone or in a company. There are communities of like-minded people all over the world and even competitions are organized. At the end of the race, the collected waste is weighed and the winner is determined.

Blogger communities can be found on social media. Bloggers publish reports about the collected garbage in Instagram under the hashtags #plogging and #plogging.

Is plogging popular in Russia?

In our country, the movement is gradually gaining popularity. There are many thematic publications and activists promoting the idea in social networks.

It is quite easy to find like-minded people – there are local communities of ploggers in almost every region. In some regions, the races are organized by local authorities. For example, in 2019, the Moscow region held an action “Clean Moscow Region – by the anniversary!”. As a result, participants collected about 7.5 tons of garbage.

Also plogging races are arranged and sports stores. In some of them you can participate regardless of location.

The popularity of eco-sports is growing. This activity is not just fun or a form of activity, but an important and useful endeavor. By joining the movement, you can not only improve your physical fitness, but also help nature and draw attention to the problem of environmental pollution.