Publish at June 28 2022 Updated July 06 2022
Getting in shape is quite a challenge in a world that encourages a more sedentary lifestyle. To achieve better physical health, several options are available; some take to the gym, interested in the social aspect of training, unlike those who will lean more towards home exercisers, a way to work out without the glare of others or the weather. Finally, many choose the route of outdoor activity like jogging.
Or, for all these solutions, one enemy has the ability to sabotage efforts: lack of motivation. Without it, the gym card stays in the wallet, the stationary bike becomes a clothes rack, and the awesome sneakers gather dust. But what if you had a concrete goal to motivate you to get moving? The Swedes understood this and managed to create a phenomenon that has spread to the French-speaking world.
"Plogging" is a neologism born from the term jogging and the Swedish expression "plocka upp" meaning picking up trash. In Quebec, the word has been francized into "detritrotte" and in France some speak of ecojogging. In all cases, the principle is the same: runners walk around with garbage bags and during their route, stop to pick up the garbage they pass. The phenomenon has spread outside of Sweden since all over the world, human beings tend to throw away in their environment what they no longer use. France produces 4.5 million tons of waste per year. Of this, millions of cans, cigarette butts, packaging, bottles and more are found on sidewalks, in parks, on trails, etc.
Since 2021, especially, France has seen many green jogging groups organize. Most of those who get started soon realize the phenomenal amount of litter that ends up in nature. "You just have to bend down to find it" as several ecojoggers say. Participants each picked up 2.8 kilograms of trash and also about a 1.5-liter bottle of cigarette butts in a few hours on an October 2021 day in Trouville-sur-Mer. Some even went very far. In Vancouver, one resident realized that many single-use masks were being released into the environment because of the pandemic. Wanting to motivate himself to run, he decided to collect them... As a result, David Papineau collected more than 20,000, becoming a Canadian media sensation.
In fact, plogging is growing in popularity among all age groups. On the Tik Tok app, which is heavily viewed by young people, plogging videos are gaining interest. Even Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, has posted a video doing so. For most of those who engage in it, it's the benefits associated with the practice that interest them far more than the notoriety.
Already, this exercise is great for the heart and muscles. Running promotes cardiovascular gains, but stopping and bending over to pick up can build core and leg muscles. This allows interval training considered ideal for fitness. This physical activity also has a lot of interest in reducing stress and anxiety of everyday life. Especially since it comes with a concrete meaning: a goal to clean up the local environment. Not only for the aesthetic aspect, but also the whole ecological side that is becoming more and more important in social concerns. Psychological research has shown that doing meaningful tasks for others increases happiness in individuals.
Many "ecojoggers" meet in clubs and carry out collections together. The equipment required is not that demanding. Obviously, jogging requires sportswear and good shoes. Afterwards, it will be important to have sturdy, protective gloves and a recyclable or washable bag to put the waste in before taking it to the public trash and recycling garbage cans. This can be done anywhere, either in the middle of town or in the mountains. What's more for less fit or older people, plogging can be done while walking and with waste tongsas this group of seniors in Surrey in Canada does regularly. A way to get together, move, and improve one's community all at the same time.
Photo credit: en.depositphotos.com
References:
Costantini, Manon. "Plogging, When Running Rhymes With Ecology." Doctor Fitness. Last updated March 20, 2022. https://www.docteur-fitness.com/le-plogging-quand-running-rime-avec-ecologie.
De Manuka, Daphne. "Plogging, Or The Art Of Doing An Eco-Friendly Sport!" Manuka Ecobioshop. Last updated: April 20, 2022. https://www.le-magasin-zero-dechet.com/blog/302_le-plogging-ou-l-art-de-faire-un-sport-eco-responsable.html.
Dickinson, Marley. "One Vancouver Runner Has Taken 'plogging' to the Next Level." Canadian Running Magazine. Last updated: January 24, 2022. https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/one-vancouver-runner-has-taken-plogging-to-the-next-level/.
Diesnis, Jerome. "Plogging, Clement Chapel's Race To Clean Up The Planet." 20 Minutes. Last updated: May 13, 2021. https://www.20minutes.fr/sport/3040915-20210513-malheureusement-baisser-trouver-dechets-plogging-course-nettoyer-planete.
"Le Plogging, Ou Comment Ramasser Des Déchets Tout En Faisant De La Course à Pied." Franceinfo. Last updated June 8, 2021. https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/environnement-et-sante/le-plogging-ou-comment-pour-ramasser-des-dechets-tout-en-faisant-de-la-course-a-pied_4655485.html.
"Ecojogging: How To Move While Helping The Planet." Decathlon Canada. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://conseils.decathlon.ca/lecojogging-comment-bouger-en-aidant-la-planete.
Mellardo, Alexa. ""Plogging" Will Be Your New Favorite Exercise To Do Outdoors." Eat This Not That. Last updated: January 24, 2022. https://www.eatthis.com/plogging-exercise-outdoors/.
Mellardo, Alexa. "What "Plogging" Does To Your Body Makes It Such An Effective Workout." Eat This Not That. Last updated: January 29, 2022. https://www.eatthis.com/how-plogging-affects-your-body/.
Moisant, Ophelia. "Plogging: Ready to Take the Leap From This New Trendy Sport?" So Healthy. Last updated: September 20, 2021. https://www.sohealthy.fr/plogging-prete-a-sauter-le-pas-de-nouveau-sport-tendance/.
"What Is Plogging, The Green Sports Activity For All?" Ecolosport. Last updated October 22, 2021. https://ecolosport.fr/blog/2021/10/22/plogging-activite-sportive-ecologique-pour-tous/.
Sauvée, Frédérique. "Runners, Do You Know The Plogging?" Spaces. Last updated: May 16, 2022. https://www.espaces.ca/articles/actualites/3702-coureurs-connaissez-vous-le-plogging.
Steber, Carolyn. "This Swedish Running Trend Is TikTok's New Favorite Workout." Bustle. Last updated: January 21, 2022. https://www.bustle.com/wellness/plogging-tiktok-viral-jogging-trend.
Zillich, Tom. "'Plogging' Club Members Walk While Removing Trash from Surrey's Bear Creek Park." Peace Arch News. Last updated September 27, 2021. https://www.peacearchnews.com/community/plogging-club-members-walk-while-removing-trash-from-surreys-bear-creek-park/.
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