Next time you go for your morning cardio — a walk, jog, run, or even cycling — consider combining it with some litter-picking. In 2016, the Swedes were the first to embrace this unique, eco-friendly way of working out. It is called plogging.
Plogging is a fun way to tweak your fitness drill. It moves your muscles in ways they are not used to. It challenges you by bringing in a new range of movements — stretching, squatting, and pulling — into your workout routine. Apart from the fact that you are constantly on the move, you are also putting your flexibility to test while picking up litter.
You could put in more exercises if you want a more intense plogging session: maybe spice it up with a few walking lunges, butt kicks, and high knees.
My point is there are no hard-and-fast rules. The idea is to just keep picking up litter while you are on the move. Even if you are forest-bathing, hiking, beach-combing, rowing, or bird-watching, you can still plog.
Being an aerobic exercise, plogging releases “happy hormones” or endorphins. So, plog to de-stress, especially, if you have eco-anxiety. It will leave you calm, content, and happy. I say this because completing a workout gives you a sense of accomplishment. Cleaning your surroundings also feels rewarding. And here, you get to do both.
Within a short span of time, plogging has evolved into a popular fitness movement, not just in Sweden. Currently, it has practitioners across the globe. According to figures from National CleanUp Day — an initiative by a non-profit called Clean Trails — two million people plogged every day in 2019. I mean, there is nothing like getting some decent cardio in while taking care of the environment — so no surprise there.
More importantly, plogging creates a beautiful balance: we can work on ourselves and be more in tune with the world around us. Not to forget, how productive you would feel after a solid workout and environment cleaning session. It sets the tone for a productive day, which makes it a great morning ritual. So, I highly recommend it for kickstarting your day.
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