'Plogging' trend combines fitness and cleaning

A new fitness trend involves jogging and cleaning up trash for a full-body workout. (iStock)

Why jog when you can “plog” – the newest fitness trend that focusses as much on your own health as on the health of the environment.

“Plogging” is a combination of jogging and the Swedish phrase plocka upp, meaning “pick up,” Mashable reports. The trend encourages people to stop while out on jogs to pick up litter, by lunging and squatting.

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The trend is growing in interest and has its own hashtag on social media for people to use while out in the fields picking up trash.

The Lifesum fitness app even allows people to log their plogging time and track their plogging activity as part of the workout options.

The benefits behind plogging are similar to jogging – according to Lifesum, a half an hour of plogging burns 288 calories, roughly the same amount of calories burned by only jogging for the same amount of time. The only difference is the added squatting or lunging to pick up garbage. And the added sense of pride at having restored nature to its original beauty.

Keep America Beautiful, a nonprofit organization, has teamed up with Lifesum to help encourage ploggers to keep up the good work.

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"Plogging is brilliant because it is simple and fun, while empowering everyone to help create cleaner, greener and more beautiful communities," Mike Rosen, senior vice president at Keep America Beautiful, said in a statement to Mashable. "All you need is running gear and a bag for trash or recyclables, and you are not only improving your own health, but your local community too."

Anyone can do it. Just remember to bring your own trash bags.