How Gardening Can Improve Your Health

When many people think of gardening, they often picture retired seniors with large sun hats and khaki shorts, plowing rows of tomatoes on warm spring days in Palm Springs. Because of this common misconception, many younger people shy away from gardening because they think of it as an exclusively "senior" activity that they simply cannot fit into their busy lives. However, there are many benefits to gardening that everyone--young and old--can take advantage of. If done consistently, gardening can actually improve your health- both physically and mentally.
Physically

Gardening on a regular basis is a highly-physical activity that is believed to tone your muscles, help you lose weight and also reduce your risk for certain health problems including heart disease and obesity. It is estimated that 30 minutes of light gardening is equivalent to doing a light workout that focuses on body strengthening and muscle toning.

Gardening works almost every muscle in your body, providing you with a great cardiovascular exercise that also tones your muscles and strengthens your core. When you garden, you do many weight-bearing activities such as pruning trees, pushing wheelbarrows and carrying water cans. These activities can all help to tone your muscles over a period of time. You also do a lot of bending and squatting--providing your body with a great cardiovascular workout.

Gardening can also improve your health by improving blood flow throughout your body. Just like many forms of physical activity, gardening is a great way to increase your blood flow as well as improve the overall oxygen levels in your blood.

Mentally

There have been many studies completed that suggest that gardening may come with several mental health benefits. These benefits include alleviation of depression, stress reduction and a general increase in life satisfaction. All of these benefits have the potential of greatly improving your health as well as your overall well being.

A recent study conducted by Tennessee State University concluded that people who garden regularly feel that the greatest benefit they received from the activity was not getting to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Rather, the greatest benefit they received included a significant reduction in their overall stress levels.

Gardening is not an activity that only senior citizens should participate in. All people-from young children to teens to senior citizen--can all take advantage of the many physical and mental benefits associated with gardening on a regular basis.