News: Plogging – Naturheilzentrum Bottrop connects People and health
Save the planet! Or active ploggers for nature and environmental protection
Health is a great asset and very much depends on the environmental conditions in which we live. It is therefore all the more important to consider the environment when it comes to the topic of health. Even the German Federal Environment Agency (‘UBA’ for short) has recognized the importance of an intact environment for health, and therefore is proactively in favor of avoiding illnesses and impairments to health that are caused by environmental pollution. (Source: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/umwelt-gesundheit#strap1)
It’s therefore logical to combine environmental protection and health – and a fitness trend in the form of ‘plogging’ has ensured that both can be implemented by every one of us.
Plogging is a popular new sport for the environmentally conscious
Plogging is a linguistic innovation – and one of the most important trends in recent times. The term comes from the Swedish language and is a portmanteau of the words “plocka upp” (meaning “pick up”) and “jogging”. Plogging is a practical way of collecting garbage while running. The idea is clear; instead of getting annoyed about the trash that lies to the left and right of the path, it’ll simply be collected and then disposed of.
The Bottrop-based health and lifestyle bloggers Farid Zitoun and Christian Rüger did a practice test in their current YouTube video for their followers and those interested in plogging. And plogging didn’t just make them work up a sweat.
Plogging often brings amazing finds to light
Those who want to start plogging will need very little equipment: running shoes, gloves – and, of course, garbage bags or old bags in which the “finds” can be stored (see also:
By the way, plogging can be done anywhere: paths through the forest or along lakes and rivers can be especially nice because ploggers also regularly find garbage that was disposed of improperly here. Cigarette remains, tissues, candy wrappers – the amount of garbage is often so large that ploggers return from their fitness session with full bags.
Plogging wins People over with its positive effects
Anyone who has enjoyed jogging up to now will also get their money’s worth with plogging. Experts consider plogging to be as demanding as interval training at the gym. “The collection of garbage causes an additional training effect: squatting, stretching, straightening, sprinting, and again from the beginning. The combination of these elements makes plogging an exercise that will give you a whole-body workout,” explains the naturopath Farid Zitoun from nabo (short for “Naturheilzentrum Bottrop”).
Plogging doesn’t replace preventing the creation of garbage
However, the world’s biggest environmental problem cannot be solved even through active plogging. The creation of garbage should therefore also be tackled. This itself is possible on a small scale and consists of sustainable food shopping and the use of seasonal and regional products, which are best bought directly from the producer (more on our Vimeo channel). The motto “Regional and Seasonal” hasn’t just been a trend at Bottrop’s naturopathic practice for a long time; it also plays an active role in the promotion of health and is understood as a form of direct environmental protection.
Big organizations such as Greenpeace have also repeatedly pointed out (source: https://www.greenpeace.de/themen/landwirtschaft/saisonal-und-regional-die-bessere-wahl) that the consumption of local products is important in order to help our environment in the long term. So, on that note: Are you still jogging or are you already plogging? Incidentally, the top topic on the Tumblr Blog is: #nabomade – Modern environmental protection: this is how plogging can help People & nature )