If you're looking for a new activity that has benefits for your health, consider gardening. Not only is gardening a practical tool that is easy to adapt to your environment, but it can also have many health benefits. Here are some ways that gardening can improve your health.
1. Increased Vitamin D
Your body needs Vitamin D for many different things. It strengthens bones, fights disease, and lowers your risk of various serious conditions. In order to make Vitamin D, your body needs sunlight. A healthy amount of sunlight is essential to your well-being. One way to get outside more is to create a garden. Gardening is very popular. According to Comfy Living, garden supply sales went up 10% in 2018. By setting up an outdoor garden, you will naturally spend more time outside. This will give your body the sunlight it needs to make the Vitamin D that your health requires.
2. Break a Sweat
While gardening might seem like a slow, leisurely activity, it can actually give your body a solid workout. As you move around the garden, performing different tasks, your heart rate will go up and you'll break a sweat. This is a great workout, especially for people who don't particularly like to garden or need something different from the gym. Since your garden requires regular upkeep, you'll spend more time moving your body. This will improve your circulation, which is essential for good health.
3. Combat Depression
Your mental health is as important as your physical health, and gardening can help with both. Working in the garden has been seen to improve your mood and fight off depression. Gardening helps on both a chemical and social level for anxiety and depression. Studies show that 30% of people smile more than 20 times a day, with 5% never smiling at all. If you're depressed, you want healthy ways to manage it. Getting outside in the garden and working toward a tangible goal is a great addition to your mental healthcare plan.
4. Grow Healthy Foods
Not only is gardening good for your body, but the results of your work are good for you as well! If you grow vegetables, herbs, and fruit, you'll hopefully end up with a large harvest from your garden. These foods are all naturally good for your health, but growing them yourself has additional benefits. You know exactly where your food is coming from. You know where you got the seeds and you know what kinds of chemicals you have used as the plants grew. This means that you don't need to rely on other people to eat the foods your body needs. While you might not be able to grow all of your fruits and vegetables yourself, growing some of them in your garden will help you improve your diet.
5. Reduce Stress
Gardening is also great for reducing stress. According to a 2011 study, people who garden after a traumatic event tend to have less stress in the aftermath. If you're dealing with trauma, like addiction recovery, the death of a loved one, or another difficult event, turning to your garden can help you manage your stress. Gardening doesn't need to be complex. You can use artificial turf in areas that you want to keep lush and green without regular fertilizing. Harsh fertilizers can be disastrous for local ecosystems, causing problems like an overgrowth of algae in the water systems. But not only is turf good for preventing these problems, but it can also help you have a nice garden without too much effort.
Gardening is a great way to improve your mental and physical health. As you plan your garden, consider the ways you can make it fit comfortably into your life. Then get outside and enjoy the process!
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