‘Plogging’ will change the way you exercise…

Ever wander through the woods and stumble upon a beer bottle or candy wrapper?

You probably picked it up, but wouldn’t it be better if you had a garbage bag ready to go in case you find more trash?

This exact scenario happened only last week on our Instagram story. Well, as it turns out, there is an activity that combines litter-OCD and exercise.

‘Plogging’, or jogging while picking up litter, is a Swedish trend that began back in 2016. The word stems from a combo of plocka upp (picking up) and jogga (to jog). The millennial-led pastime is making waves again as we all keep ourselves busy during partial lockdown.

It’s simple: just grab a bag and some gardening gloves next time you go for a jog. You can ride solo, or try it with a more open-minded running club for an interesting change-of-pace.

Here are some pro-tips for proper plogging

1. Take safety precautions

   • Not all trash was created equal. Look before you touch and use good judgment.

   • If you suspect something may be hazardous, leave it be and notify your local township!

2. Reycling properly

   • Every town/city/state recycles differently! Make sure you are separating your trash according to local policy. Most parks and rec facilities have recycling bins. Use them!

   • If you are unsure about your local recycling policy, look up ‘{city/town} {state} recycling’ on your favorite search engine (I like DuckDuckGo because it doesn’t track your data. No that isn’t an affiliate link. I just like it.

3. Local clean-ups

   • Check your area for local clean-ups at parks, lakes, rivers and highways.

   • You can still get a good workout in and help an organized event. Odds are if they set up an event to clean an area, they probably could use your help.

4. Share on social

   • Use #plogging and post your eco-warrior efforts on social media so other people can learn about this awesome trend!

Happy plogging!