ACCORDING to Alisa Wolfson, Sweden is responsible for bringing the world some of its most popular apps, brands and gadgets. From Skype and Spotify to Ikea and H&M - the Swedes are known for their catchy concepts - the latest of which is a fitness trend known as Plogging. Picking up trash while jogging may not seem revolutionary, but it’s certainly providing fodder for the world of social media.
So where does the name come from?
It’s a combination of the words “plucking” and “jogging.” Certified personal trainer and behavioral change therapist Charles Porter relays that "There are two great things about this type of exercise. You get the added benefit of carrying a few extra pounds and you’re bending over and doing squats, which is a move that’s fundamental to your everyday life. You’re getting a full body workout. Another bonus is it’s beneficial for the environment. You’re helping the planet and that can encourage others to participate, especially if it’s a social media phenomenon, everyone wants to jump on that bandwagon.”
So, instead of a clean-up day scheduled one day a year, perhaps on Earth Day, turning your workout into an activity that not only provides physical benefits but also gives you a psychological boost and helps the planet can become routine.
My Ate Jana, the favorite clown of Boss Anjo, told me they have one major plogging schedule on April 22. Ate Jana will be jogging around our Burnham Park hoping to find whatever's left of the Yamashita treasure to fix her heart, ahem!
In celebration of Earth Day 2018 with the theme: "Let's End Plastic Pollution," the Baguio Ploggers have partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Cordillera regional office for a city-wide plogging activity at Burnham Park and its vicinity on April 22, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
All Baguio residents are invited (paano 'yung non-residents?).
Accordingly, t-shirts, eco-bags, gloves, and free food will be provided to the 1st 100 participants who will register. Please bring your own water bottles. Registration and starting point will be located at the Melvin Jones stage.
I remember doing a similar activity several years ago thru the initiative of Sir Mon Dacawi and the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters' Club (BCBC) where we walked the stretch of Session Road and picked up trash along the way. The volume of waste collected during the activity then was "alarming" to a certain extent because we never expected that much garbage lying around. Perhaps it's time we do this again.
Plogging is "mindfulness" running - a state of being aware of our surroundings and of knowing fully well that we all run for something bigger than ourselves. Commemorate Earth Day through plogging!
And since we're talking about plastics, tigilan na rin natin ang pagiging plastic, okai? Iwasan din ang mga taong plastic kasi sa basurahan sila dapat mapunta, hihi...
"It is less of a physical activity, and more of a call for awareness. To plog is to realize that we only have one planet that we could ever call home: A realization that every good citizen ought to have.” ~ Baguio Ploggers
"Sooner or later, we will have to recognize that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans." ~ Evo Morales
"Mother Earth needs us to keep our covenant. We will do this in courts, we will do this on our radio station, and we will commit to our descendants to work hard to protect this land and water for them. Whether you have feet, wings, fins, or roots, we are all in it together." ~ Winona LaDuke