Have You Ever Thought About the 6 Health Benefits of Gardening?
If you haven’t we have good news for you. If you still need a reason why you should start gardening, read on. Learning about the 6 health benefits of gardening might just be enough for you to finally get started. Here are the are:
1. It keeps you active and in shape
Did you know that you could turn gardening into exercise? In the book, “Fitness the Dynamic Gardening Way,” author Jeff Restuccio explained to WebMD that you can turn your gardening into a structured exercise routine. So, if you miss hitting the gym due to the pandemic, growing vegetables in your backyard is a perfect alternative to your workouts since three hours of gardening equates to an hour of a gym session. In the book Aerobic Gardening: An Hour to Learn, A Lifetime to Master you will learn how you think and perform every garden motion to get the workout you are hoping for. Plus, you don’t need to pay a membership fee. It’s a win-win for your body and your wallet!
2. Gardening improves brain health
Research shows that gardening is effective in keeping your mind sharp because it requires cognitive functions. Not only does it help improve your memory, but also tending to your plants for even a few hours a day will lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
3. Affords a healthier diet
When you grow your own produce you will find yourself more in control of what you put in your body. Freshly harvested veggies, fruits, and herbs from your own garden have more nutrients than what you would normally buy from the store. On top of that, cultivating your plants organically will make them healthier and more delicious.
4. Gardening relieves stress
It has been shown that gardening relieves stress. The relaxing nature of gardening activities is in itself a stress reliever. Studies further proved that taking care of plants daily can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Not only that—exposure to sunlight makes your body produce Vitamin D, and in turn, Vitamin D produces serotonin, which is a brain chemical that makes you happy! It’s a winning formula.
5. Promotes better sleep
For sure, doing physical activities such as gardening will tire you out and promote a good night’s sleep. Not only that, the light therapy received from the sun, will also give you adequate melatonin to help you sleep well at night, realigning your sleep patterns for an energy-filled morning the next day.
Your indoor plants are also a huge factor for a good night’s sleep. Plants with air-cleaning properties can clear out air particles and remove harmful chemicals, leaving you with excellent air quality while asleep.
6. It strengthens the immunity
Exposure to a sufficient amount of “the sunshine vitamin” keeps your bones, teeth, and muscles healthy, not to mention it boosts your immune system. In addition, the dirt in your garden is home to good bacteria called, Mycobacterium vaccae, a “friendly” soil bacteria that also helps in strengthening your immunity.
There you have it, these are the most important 6 health benefits of gardening. There is no doubt that gardening benefits your health – from physical to mental. Many people we know start out strong only to fizzle out quickly. The trick to maintaining your gardening activities is to focus on what you love doing the most – such as growing flowers and vegetables – and leave dreaded chores such as mowing the lawn to someone else and call Shamrock Landscape to the rescue. Trust the folks at Shamrock Landscape to keep your lawn in tip-top shape in Benicia, Vallejo, and American Canyon, after all, they have done it for 30+ years.
