by Brittany Stewart    

13-03-2018   

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There’s a new fitness trend emerging and it’s called ‘Plogging’.

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Like so many lifestyle trends these days, we have the Scandinavians to thank for this activity, which is not only good for your health but for the environment too. The word comes from a combination of “jogging” and the Swedish phrase “plocka upp” meaning pick up. No, this isn’t a real-world version of Tinder – it means to pick up litter, rather than people. And it’s taking off big time. According to the BBC, people first started using the hashtag on Twitter in 2016 and now it’s gone global with participants in Thailand, Paris and the US. The premise is simple.

 

On your run (which as we know is great for your health) you simply pick up any rubbish you see littered along the way (good for the environment). You could pick up one single piece and put it on your pocket or aim to fill a whole rubbish bag on your route. You don’t need any special equipment – bar a rubbish bag and some gloves for safety – and you can do it by yourself, with a friend or even in a large group. There are currently almost 2,000 pictures on Instagram under the hashtag. Its popularity is largely due to a growing concern about our impact on the environment and unnecessary use of plastic.

 

And not only will you be working harder by helping clean up your local area – the constant bending down to pick up rubbish and also carrying your haul to throw it away is the environmentally conscious version of squats and weights. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels, many people may have been ‘plogging’ without realising there was a name for it.

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Read more: www.msn.com/en-in/health/fitness