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If climbing to a mountaintop for that refreshing feeling embraced by a sense of freedom while overlooking the immense and beautiful scenery is the typical appeal of hiking, hiking trends are changing once again.
Have you heard of the term plogging? It is a compound word of the Swedish words plocka upp (to pick up) and jogga (to jog), which means to walk and/or jog while picking up litter. It started in Sweden and spread throughout Europe, and as concerns and interest in environmental pollution increased, it received worldwide attention. In Korea, the trend can be seen rapidly disseminating across social media, garnering more and more compassion and popularity among the Millennials and Generation Z, who value the act of exercising for their own good while protecting the environment. And now, "mountain plogging," which combines the concept of hiking and plogging, is becoming a new trend.

From disposable waste, such as plastic bottles thrown away after drinking and plastic bags, to inadvertently disposed wooden chopsticks or fruit peels, thinking that it's okay because it decomposes naturally, this discarded garbage continues to be frowned upon by other hikers while seriously damaging nature. However, as more people visit mountains, the number of people littering has not increased. As observed from the increasing number of hashtags, such as #plogging and #plogging_challenge on social media, more and more people are sympathetic to the purpose of plogging campaigns.

If you're looking to do some mountain plogging, in addition to the essential hiking gear, there are different things you need. One of them being a bag to carry the garbage. Using a recyclable bag to protect the environment is recommended, but you can also use a standard plastic garbage bag or a regular plastic bag as well. Bags can be obtained from the Bukhansan National Park Ui Ranger Station or the Bukhansanseong Park Information Center. In addition, it is recommended to prepare gloves and tongs for your hygiene and to prevent injury. Long sleeves and long pants are also advised to avoid exposing the skin, while protecting you from insect bites and skin-irritating vegetation.

Hiking itself requires a lot of effort. With mountain plogging and its added movements of picking up trash while climbing, it's recommended to sufficiently stretch apart from the usual warm-up. Stretching improves exercise effectiveness, prevents injuries, and reduces muscle pain after hiking.

Mountain plogging provides the benefits of strength training and essential aerobic exercise through the repeated bending and stretching of your limbs. Bending your legs when picking up trash is similar to performing a squat or lunge workout, and the movement of picking up trash with tongs, or lifting heavy garbage bags, also helps strengthen the arm muscles.

Squats require crouching until the thigh is leveled with the knee before rising back up to a standing position. It is a lower body exercise, but it stimulates various parts, such as the sides, waist, thighs, buttocks, and calves. It is also effective in burning fat and building muscles. Lunges are performed by putting one foot forward and bending the knee 90 degrees. The back knee is then lowered, but does not touch the ground. In short, squats are good for muscle hypertrophy, strength, and flexibility, while lunges are excellent exercises for balance and strengthening the back and core. Mountain plogging essentially makes you repeat these motions while hiking, creating a more impactful workout than simply hiking.

Continuing the movement of picking up trash can lead to back and knee strain, so it's important to use your hips, thighs, and gluteal muscles together. You will have more weight on you when you come down, so you should be careful not to grab too much trash, or to choose a course that is beyond what you can handle physically. Venture out there and get the best of both worlds while mountain plogging - protect the environment all the while getting in a good workout!