Plogging Beijing: How Fitness and Environmental Justice Became One

Drew Pittock, Contributing Editor | Nov 10, 2019 1:00 pm | Add a comment | 174 reads


Beijing Olympian is an ongoing column in which we explore the newest, the funnest, and the downright whackiest in Beijing’s fitness scene.

If there was ever a sport laudable for being as good for you as it is the environment, it would be plogging. News of the unusual exercise regimen, which combines jogging with picking up trash, first made reached the capital in 2018 but was back in the news this week after Xinhua profiled Beijing's plogging contingent.

Legend has it, the first man to "plog" was Erik Ahlstrom back in 2016, who, disillusioned by the excessive litter lining the streets of his small Swedish town, began snatching up scraps of trash during his daily runs. Details of how Ahlstrom’s efforts rippled outside his own community and influenced eco-conscious joggers clear across the globe are still cloaked in mystery, but the trend soon had a name: a portmanteau of the Swedish phrase, 'plocka upp,' which translates to 'picking up,' and the slightly more obvious, ‘jogging.’

No matter the catalyst, by 2018 plogging had reached mainland China, and folks from Beijing to Shanghai to Hangzhou were running around with trash clamps and recycling bags in tow.

Now, one year later, the group Plogging Beijing is a formidable force of waste warriors waging war against the enemies of all that is clean and good in the Capital. Zhang Yashi, Plogging Beijing’s de facto spokesman, told Xinhua News that the group was established last year and that on the first night alone the newly minted ploggers filled three bags of trash around the Forbidden City.

More impressive is the fact that what began as a humble four-member team, has since blossomed into a 700-strong plogging army. As Zhang describes to Xinhua, most of the recruits catch wind of the group through social media, though he mentions how a few ploggers have simply been intrigued passersby looking for a good workout.

And a good workout it is! Citing data from various fitness apps, Beijing Youth Daily reported that by incorporating squats and carrying the trash while moving about the city, plogging can burn roughly 288 calories per hour, 53 calories more than a traditional jog.

So the next time you’re lacing up your sneakers and donning your windbreaker, grab a trash bag for some good, clean fun. You’ll be helping yourself, your neighbors, and the planet breathe just that little bit easier.

Keep up with all the latest Plogging Beijing events by following their official WeChat account: Plogging北京.

READ: Get a Grip on Rock Climbing in the Capital

This article originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids.

Photos: Plogging北京, Kerry Hotel Beijing, Medium.com