Play sports and take care of the environment at the same time? It is possible and it is not a new practice. Plogging already has thousands of followers in various countries around the world who combine love for sport and the planet. We will tell you about its origins, what movements it involves and what implements it uses.
Plogging: a sport at the service of the environment
It was in 2016 when Erik Ahlström moved from a small Swedish town to Stockholm and started plogging. The word comes from the sum of jogging (“to run”) and plocka upp (“to collect”, in Swedish).
Ahlstrom, in his daily exercise routine, saw large amounts of garbage on the roads that nobody picked up, so he chose to do it himself. Such was the reception of this activity that it is currently a sport practiced by many in Europe, the United States and Canada.
Plogging RRevolution has been running for 4 years. During this time, it has managed to organize more than 150 events and collect more than 2 tons of waste. Plogging Tour Europe is another organization whose objective is to support and promote sustainable cities. The work of this organization has been tireless. It has managed to gather around 4,500 volunteers and collect almost 24,000 kg of waste to this day.
This sporting and ecological activity can be practiced both in the city, in the mountains or on the beach. The Plogging Tour community, for example, holds events in cities like Ibiza, Madrid, Teruel and Seville.
The community around this sport is growing every day in the world. On social media, hashtags like #plogging have millions of views. These collective initiatives seek to mitigate climate change.
Do you want to join the community of ploggers in your country? We will tell you how this sport is practiced and what you need to bring.
Plogging :more than running and collecting rubbish
If you sign up for one of the events that are scheduled in USA, you will see that many physical activities fit this concept. The founders of Plogging RRevolution claim that debris can be picked up while biking, kayaking, or scuba diving.
Running is the activity most practiced by ploggers. They claim they can burn up to 300 calories in 30 minutes of running, doing squats while picking up waste. It can also be combined with long walks doing push-ups.
On social networks, many ploggers share photos of the events in which they participate. Scuba divers, for example, use a bag created by a team of surfers, the Trshbg. This practical bag is made by hand, with recycled materials and is perfect for storing waste.
To begin with, you must make sure that you wear comfortable clothes, the ones that you normally wear for your daily exercise routine. It is also essential to bring several bags for rubbish and some gloves. These will serve to protect your hands from broken bottles or sharp objects.
If you are going to practice Plogging in a group, it will be easier to separate the waste (plastic, paper, glass, batteries or cigarettes) because each person can carry a bag for a specific type of waste. For those who practice it in the water, it is best to bring a hand net.
The Aquae Foundation (sf) has the following basic recommendations for practicing this sport:
- Bring water and stay hydrated, especially in summer.
- Includes competition dynamics with other ploggers.
- Combine fast runs with short ones, so you can pick up more waste.
Benefits
Since you know a little more about this eco-friendly practice, we invite you to become part of the community of ploggers in your country. Become a defender of the planet, a builder of a better world for all.
Like all physical activity, it is undoubtedly beneficial for your body. But the most remarkable thing about this sport is that it can encourage environmental activism. It also awakens the sense of community and family unity. These are some of its main benefits:
Increase your self-esteem, as it gives you the possibility to improve yourself while increasing your awareness of the environment.
By doing physical activities, you increase your lung capacity and improve your digestion. In addition, it gives you more energy and improves the oxygenation of your body.
It is a perfect plan to do as a family.
You actively collaborate with the care of the environment in your neighborhood, your city, the parks and the beaches.
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