Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

Europeans Are Obsessed With This Green Fitness Trend

Emma Loewe
Author:
February 02, 2018
Emma Loewe
By Emma Loewe
mbg Contributor
Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us" and the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care." Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.
Photo by BONNINSTUDIO
February 02, 2018

Leave it to Scandinavia, the region that popularized feel-good lifestyle philosophies like hygge and lagom, to come up with a workout that benefits our mind, bodies, and environment. Its latest export is called plogging—a combo of the Swedish words for pick up ("plocka upp") and jog ("joggning") that asks runners to do the planet a solid and pick up any litter they see along their routes.

While the term was first coined in 2016, it's seen a resurgence on social media lately. A quick search of #plogging yields hundreds of photos depicting groups of environmentally conscious athletes and solo runners gathering trash from the mountains and beaches to city streets. Dedicated plogging accounts are emerging everywhere from Sweden to Paris, and some runners are even challenging friends to take on the #binbagchallenge, i.e., collecting at least one bag of litter on every run.

Beyond being just motivation to cover more ground, stopping to pick trash up along your route could cause the thighs to burn a little more. Depending on how much you collect, your arms may start firing up too. This easy, accessible running tweak speaks to a larger shift in the wellness world toward enjoyable and community-oriented workouts that come with a low price tag. Why not give it a try on your next jog? Simply bring a small bag along and be sure to log what you find in a phone app like Litterati to help build out a global trash database. Recycle your loot properly, and ride high on the resulting endorphins and knowledge that you just did your body and the planet a small favor.

Want to do more to ease the global pollution problem? Take these quick action steps.

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Planet
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.