Don’t Forget Exercise!

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cake2go pop art lady with heart hands

I’m Still Plogging for Exercise and Now It’s a Trend!

by | Feb 2, 2022 | Don't Forget Exercise | 0 comments

So, plogging for exercise is becoming a thing. I hate to say “I told you so”, but I’ve been doing it for years, and I’ve got receipts. I blogged about having just heard about it and giving it a try in May 2019.  So, as any logical person would then conclude: the entire world has finally caught on to my wisdom and everyone wants to be like me. Okay, seriously, I’m just kidding of course! I’m just glad that the world is finally catching on to this great habit, mainly thanks to TikTok.

Social Media is Exploding from Plogging for Exercise

I am just as enthusiastic about plogging for exercise today as I was back in the Before Times, when I started practicing it.  So I was so surprised when I was suddenly seeing one, two, three…tons of mentions on Facebook and Twitter (follow me!) of the practice of jogging and picking up trash at the same time.

It makes sense that it would start to take off again.  When I first started plogging for exercise, there were a lot of zero waste activities starting to be super trendy, like bringing your own reusable bags to the grocery store and skipping out on the plastic straws.  The trouble with single-use plastics was right there in the spotlight.

Then “everything” happened the next year and single-use products started becoming quite necessary to keep many of us healthy and safe.  Plus, there was a major trend away from touching anything that might have been touched by someone else unless it was necessary.  Not to mention the fact that a lot of the trash I currently see blowing around my neighborhood is in the form of disposable masks (thank goodness not the gloves anymore). So, I can see why plogging for exercise ground to a halt before that trend had the chance to take off.

Making a Comeback and It’s Bigger than Ever

As we all start to feel better and more confident about what is and is not safe to do – and as we’re reminded that the problems with the Earth and climate change have not gone away – plogging for exercise is getting a second chance. It absolutely warms my heart that it’s happening!

For more information about what plogging is and how I do it, check out my original Plogging My Way to a Fitter Body post.

I’m still walking or jog-walking most of the time because I haven’t applied myself to jogging or running at a full level even through all this time.  Goals for the future. Always goals.

That said, I’m still using a tote on my shoulder to carry the trash I pick up (which I spray down with white vinegar and then wash in the “serious laundry load”, and I usually re-use a plastic zipper seal bag of some kind over my hand to pick things up.

After I’ve used a bag like that for something non-gross (no meat, no sauce), I’ll rinse it out and set it upside down to dry. Then I’ll use it as a hand cover to pick up trash, then dispose of it with the trash I’ve collected. It’s not a perfect system, but it keeps my hand cleaner and gets one more use out of something I’d toss anyway.

I somewhat wish I’d tracked my trash collection while plogging for exercise over the years. I’d really love to know how much I’ve collected so I can report in. That said, I know I’ve recycled tons of cans and enough disposable coffee cups have gone into my organic waste bin that it likely looks like I’m running a café from my home. That’s a great feeling.

 

Most of Us Think we’re Making Far Better Healthy Food Choices Than We Are

Most of Us Think we’re Making Far Better Healthy Food Choices Than We Are

I like to think that I’m making some healthy food choices, for the most part. I know my diet isn’t perfect. I don’t even aim for perfect. I’d have to give up too much of my favorite treats to get to that point. I don’t even think that focusing too much on nutrition is great for your overall wellbeing. A bit of fun has its place now and then. That said, according to this new study I’ve read, we Americans think we’re doing far better than we are, and it’s really holding us back!

What Exactly is a Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss?

What Exactly is a Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss?

I’d heard about the need for a calorie deficit about a million times before I actually looked into what it was. Now, I understand that the name pretty much explains what it is. I got it on the most basic level. If I wanted to lose weight, I needed to burn more calories than I was taking in. That said, when it comes to putting things into practice, the situation became less obvious to me. I admit that it took freaking forever for me to actually look it up.

What Exactly is a Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss?

What Exactly is a Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss?

I’d heard about the need for a calorie deficit about a million times before I actually looked into what it was. Now, I understand that the name pretty much explains what it is. I got it on the most basic level. If I wanted to lose weight, I needed to burn more calories than I was taking in. That said, when it comes to putting things into practice, the situation became less obvious to me. I admit that it took freaking forever for me to actually look it up.

Running and Dehydration: A Brutal Combination

Running and Dehydration: A Brutal Combination

Running and dehydration pretty much go hand-in-hand during the summer months. As someone who has taken up running relatively recently and is facing her first summer with the sport, this is very new to me, though not unexpected. That said, as I’ve been researching, I’ve also discovered that the combination, while brutal, isn’t exactly what many of us assume it is, particularly when it comes to difficulty level.

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