Plogging is in: Milind Soman joins the movement; all you need to know

 

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Be the change. . . From now on, plogging once a week. . . . Plogging is a concept that originated in northern Euprope and means picking up garbage as you run, to help a situation that is out of control, and also be a good example of healthy living to everyone around. If everyone took care of their own garbage, there wouldn’t be any on the streets. And it really is ok to pick up other people’s garbage. . . . It’s still our world. . . . #BeBetterEveryday #betterhabits4betterlife #Live2Inspire #fitnessaddict #love #loveyourself #LoveYourWorld #barefoot #earthkiss #mother 📷 @flashbulbzz

A post shared by Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning) on Dec 8, 2019 at 11:00pm PST

While explaining the concept, he wrote, “Picking up garbage as you run, to help a situation that is out of control, and also be a good example of healthy living to everyone around. If everyone took care of their own garbage, there wouldn’t be any on the streets. And it really is okay to pick up other people’s garbage. It’s still our world.”

Plogging comes from the words “jogging,” and the Swedish “plocka upp”, which means ‘to pick up’. Simply, it’s picking up trash as you jog yourself into shape. Said to have originated late last year in Sweden, the idea took over social media (especially Instagram) and was soon adopted in the UK, US and now even India.

To refresh your memory, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted about plogging on a beach in Mamallapuram in October this year. “Plogging at a beach in Mamallapuram. It lasted for over 30 minutes.”

The trend was started in Sweden by Erik Ahlström in 2016. During his commute to work, Ahlström would frequently come across litter that would remain on the streets for weeks without anyone picking it up. This prompted him to pick up the trash during his commute and dispose it. Eventually, he included the clean-up in his daily running and exercise routine.

If you thought navigating the various garbage dumps and litter during your morning and evening walks was a problem only in India, then think again because littering is a global problem, and a serious one at that. Which is why the Swedes came up with a simple, yet effective way to deal with this issue, giving rise to the latest rage in an altruistic global health trend. And, it has now made its way to India.

 

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A post shared by Plogsack (@plogsack) on Dec 9, 2019 at 1:37pm PST

Plogging can be done while you stroll in the parks too, but if you run or jog, the benefits would double up as a fitness regimen. A win-win game, it has the power to inspire many to join in for the cause of the environment, which may perhaps make those littering public places feel apologetic too.

Are you game?