[Harumanbo Harucheonja] Do You Only Take Care of 'Health' by Walking... You Also Take Care of the 'Environment'

'Sseudam Walking,' an activity that not only promotes our physical health through walking but also helps take care of the planet's health, is gaining popularity.

Sseudam Walking refers to the activity of picking up trash while walking. When exercising by walking, it is not uncommon to spot trash secretly discarded by someone among riverside bushes. The idea is to carry tools such as bags to pick up this trash while going for a walk, thereby contributing to environmental improvement.

Sseudam Walking first became popular in Sweden in 2016. For this reason, it is commonly called "plogging" abroad, a combination of the Swedish word "plocka upp," meaning to pick up, and "walking." The National Institute of the Korean Language has localized this term as Sseudam Walking. Similarly, "plogging," when combined with jogging, has been adapted as "Sseudam Running." Since the original Swedish terms are unfamiliar and not immediately understandable, they were refined into easy Korean words to spread the positive meaning widely.

Sseudam Walking offers greater exercise benefits compared to regular walking. Instead of just walking or running, participants repeatedly squat or lunge to pick up trash, which works the lower body muscles. While people tend to bend their waist rather than their knees when picking something up, it is better to keep the back straight and bend the knees. Additionally, holding trash in the hands has a similar effect to carrying dumbbells while running. Essentially, it combines full-body exercise from walking or running with lower body and arm workouts. According to the Swedish fitness app "Lifesum," jogging for 30 minutes burns about 235 kcal, but Sseudam Running burns approximately 288 kcal, showing increased calorie consumption.

As a result, regular walking and running groups are actively incorporating Sseudam activities. On Instagram, a social networking service (SNS) mainly used by the MZ generation for communication, there are over 200,000 related posts. Besides regular gatherings, many sports community apps, which have been increasing recently, also organize one-time events, making it easy for anyone to start without pressure.

Local governments are also actively supporting this movement. On the 1st of this month, the Jeonnam Provincial Council enacted an ordinance to support Sseudam Walking. The ordinance defines the governor's responsibility to promote Sseudam Walking, requires the establishment and implementation of support plans every three years, and provides benefits such as reduced fees for provincial facilities and souvenirs for participants. Seo Daehyun, the council member who proposed the ordinance, said, "This activity involves picking up trash discarded on the streets while walking, which also serves the purpose of environmental cleanup," adding, "Anyone, regardless of age or gender, can engage in sustainable environmental activities through small daily practices." Additionally, various institutions and companies, including Cheonan City, Uijeongbu City, Gangwon Cultural Foundation, and Gyeongbuk Credit Guarantee Foundation, are hosting Sseudam Walking events as part of their social contribution efforts, actively promoting its spread.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.