'Plogging' Is The New Trend That Gets You Fit While Saving The Planet

There's a new trend for environmentally-conscious fitness addicts who love to multi-task. You might think that's a narrow overlap, but enough people are partaking in this new hobby to give it a name: plogging. According to Buzzfeed, plogging is how Swedish people are getting in shape and cleaning up their parks these days.

The word plogging is a combination of "pluck" and "jogging," which is pretty much a perfect description of what it is. As you run, you carry a lightweight bag and pick up trash along your path. And then, of course, you put a picture up on social media—the favorite post-activity past time for folks getting in shape everywhere.

The movement has picked up steam outside Sweden as well, according to Teen Vogue. It's in Thailand and Paris, too; the popularity of the practice probably comes from the fact that it's a pretty fun thing to do in a group. Paris has an entire plogging community that organizes events. So, now you're exercising, helping the Earth, and making new friends. 

But how effective is it as a work out? Metro got a quote from their "resident fitness expert" Miranda Larbi, who said that all that adding bending down and picking stuff up to your exercise routine can be to your extreme benefit.

"Plogging shares some characteristics with interval training, which uses recovery to improve fitness and fat burning," she said. "It’s also got elements of mobility training – reaching down to pick up rubbish will extend the range of motion that you’re using."

And people are finding ways to incorporate with more than running. There's biking, and even paddle boarding:

Or mountain climbing:

You can turn it into a competition:

The plogging trend is genuinely motivating on so many levels. Just make sure to stretch first.