The rubbish way to exercise
Stephen Heard tries the ultimate form of feelgood multi-tasking burning calories while doing your bit for the Earth.
The basics
Created in Scandinavia and trending across the world, plogging is the act of jogging and collecting litter for proper disposal. The name is a made-up word, created by mashing together ‘‘jogging’’ and ‘‘picking up’’. The physical activity of plogging comes with all the benefits of running while, at the same time, cleaning up the giant floating orb that we call home.
Giving it a bash
Before heading out on my plogging adventure, I opened the third drawer from the top to grab Mother Nature’s arch nemesis: the plastic bag. The imperishable vessel would be used to gather fellow imperishable findings – and whatever else I stumbled across. I also pocketed a pair of rubber gloves, because picking up rubbish tends to be disgusting. I mapped out a 5-kilometre loop around the neighbourhood, selecting alleyways, grassy areas and a supermarket parking lot that I figured would be the go-to for rubbishdropping scum. It was definitely the first time I’d left the house hoping to stumble across some junk. Things started slow and pickings were slim, from cigarette butts to bottle caps and a deflated balloon. That soon led to a plastic water bottle, some unfortunate soul’s $200 parking ticket, coffee cups, sandwich wrap, unwanted circulars from a local real estate agent, and the holy grail: a lone misplaced hiking boot. Jogging soon took a back seat and evolved into short bursts of running between filling the bag. It was not enjoyable carrying the boot. Even when moving, my eyes were locked on the ground scanning for something to pick up. There were several moments anchored in one spot collecting items and analysing whether rubbish was actually rubbish or simply rubbishshaped foliage. It was eye-opening to see how much litter was actually lying around. It would take a plogging army to clean up. I finished the plogging session by placing my near-full bag of disposables in the appropriate receptacles and washing my hands thoroughly.
Why you should try it
Plogging is the ultimate form of feelgood multi-tasking; burning calories while doing your bit for the environment. You’ll enjoy all the benefits that come with running, including improved cardiovascular health and balance, increased energy, stress relief, and weight loss. It’s also said that the act of bending down to pick up the rubbish, if completed in the form of a squat, burns more calories – as does carrying the weight of your haul. Given the broken and uneven pace, it’s not an ideal form of long-distance running, though it does have some similarities to interval training.
Risk rating
The risks with plogging are fairly low, unless you’re rummaging through broken glass and syringes. Gloves are recommended to avoid bacteria, and you should wash your hands after each plogging session. Any suspicious or dangerous dumping should be reported to the local council. Those with a history of back and heart problems should consult a medical professional first before running.
It's also said that the act of bending down to pick up the rubbish, if completed in the form of a squat, burns more calories - as does carrying the weight of your haul.