Let’s go plogging!

One of the biggest problems we have in Pakistan is the mounds of garbage that can be seen around our cities and even highways. These piles of rubbish are ‘hidden’ in big cities to give an illusion of cleanliness, meaning they can only be seen in lanes and streets off the main roads or congested localities. In smaller towns they are to be seen everywhere, whether it is a public place or residential area.

Since we cannot do much about the big heaps except try and urge and implore the civic authorities to do something, maybe we can do our bit for the environment in a small way by cleaning the areas/roads where we live - and give our health a boost at the same time - by joining the ranks of a worldwide movement called ‘plogging.’

So what is plogging? It is described by Wikipedia as a combination of jogging with picking up litter (a portmanteau of the words ‘jogging’ and plocka upp, Swedish for ‘pick up’). It started as an organised activity in Sweden around 2016 and spread to other countries in 2018, following increased concern about plastic pollution. As a workout, it provides variation in body movements by adding bending, squatting and stretching to the main action of running. To start plogging, just go for a run - or a brisk walk if you are not a fan of jogging - like you normally would, making sure to take regular intervals to pick up trash. And don’t forget to carry a plastic bag for trash with you.

According to Swedish nutritionist Frida Harju-Westma, in addition to benefiting the planet, this new exercise trend is pretty great for you, too. “Similar to interval training, plogging combines a quick running step for short periods with focused lunges and squats,” she explains “Interval training boosts endurance and burns more calories during and after a workout than normal running, improving fitness and fat burning for best results.”