Plogging: The Fitness Trend With a Cause

1 min read

#PLOGGING

It’s good for you and the environment.

Fitness trends are a dime a dozen. There’s always something new coming around the bend, but as we all know that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s better than what we’re already working with. Plogging, on the other hand, offers some distinct advantages that make its lasting potential pretty legit.

First of all, WTF is plogging?

Well, apparently plogging is something that the Swedes invented, a lovely blend of jogging and picking up trash. (That’s “plocka upp” in Swedish.) You heard that right. All you need to do is take your run outdoors and perhaps carry a bag with you to pick up any random garbage along the way. Easy enough!

Naturally, the ploggers of the world have taken to Instagram to share their jogging trash bounties. Just look at the abs surrounded by dirty water bottles on that chick! Clearly, something is working here.

Plogging is good news for a couple of reasons.

One, obviously, picking up litter is very important. Nine billion tons of litter end up in the ocean every single year, and the yearly cleanup efforts total around $11.5 million.

That’s a lot of garbage and a lot of cleanup cash. Of course, one person’s litter pickup is not going to scrub screen the entire planet but if everyone was doing it, it would. Some stats say that 75 percent of people admit to littering. So, stop that, and then also start trying to reverse what’s already been done. Deal.

In addition to being good for the environment, plogging is also good for the body. Stopping to pick up litter on a job or hike turns the workout into an interval-type thing, which is great for the heart rate. Then there’s also the part where bending down to pick up the trash can be used as a power squat or lunge. Might as well use this trend as an opportunity to get fit and tack on some bragging rights to your day.

Don’t forget the hashtags. #plogga

I'm Kate Ferguson, an L.A.-based Writer, Filmmaker, Photographer, Social Media Strategist, and Blogger at, right here, That's Random Kate! (Previously Divvy Mag.) I love storytelling in its various forms, growth, shooting 35mm film, learning super random facts, building community, and admiring palm trees. Find me on Instagram: @KateFerg. (Where there will definitely be 35mm photos of palm trees.)