Gardening is a great hobby. It can provide food and beauty for your home. A lot of people love gardening as a hobby because it also provides numerous health benefits. You’d be surprised at everything that gardening can offer you. Here are just a couple of the many health benefits of gardening.
Good for Depression and Mental Health
Horticultural therapy is a growing field and has been proven to help depression. Gardening helps reduce the feeling of depression or sadness. Being outdoors can lift spirits and help you get some fresh air. Being outside and working can act as an antidepressant for a lot of people. Putting all of your efforts into your garden will occupy your mind and distract you from other negative feelings.
Better Immune System
Being outdoors exposes you to germs and bacteria. Not all germs and bacteria are bad. A lot of bacteria are necessary for survival. Being exposed to those germs and bacteria will help strengthen your immune system. You’ll also be exposed to a lot of Vitamin D which has been proven to help fight off colds and flu. Not to mention you’ll have a whole bunch of fresh air to strengthen your lungs and awaken you for the day.
Image Source: Huffington Post
Stress Relief
Today’s world is very stressful. Everything needs to be fast and quick paced. Work and family can cause stress. Taking a time out from all your daily stressors by gardening can be exactly what you need. Gardening provides an outlet for you to be able to do what you love. Being outdoors, working, and hearing birds are other factors that make gardening great at reducing stress. Let your family know that you need awhile to yourself in your garden to be able to relax and recuperate.
Healthier Aging Process
Gardening can provide the elderly with the recommended amount of moderate exercise. This increases heart health and decreases the risk of heart disease or heart attacks. In fact, there have been studies that show that regular gardening can decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 30%. Raised flower beds are also better for elderly joints so that they don’t have to stoop. Large amounts of Vitamin D can also decrease the risk of certain cancers, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Gardening is a great hobby for everyone, but especially for the elderly for these reasons.
Summing Up
There are numerous health benefits to gardening. Many are not listed here. Gardening is great for the body and the mind. Not only will Vitamin D exposure that comes from gardening strengthen your immune system, it can also decrease risk of osteoporosis and certain cancers. Spending time in your garden will reduce your stress as you take a time out from your busy life. It will also help with depression and increase overall mental health. Take some time to plant a garden this spring if you’d like to see some of these health benefits in your life. You won’t be sorry you did it.
Image Source: The Conversation
