The thought of gardening may fill your heart with joy or make you feel a little nervous! Having a backyard is a real luxury and probably where you’ll spend lots of time at home. Use it to gather friends around and unwind with a BBQ, watch your kids play and let your pets go wild! It’s a patch of heaven that can make all the difference to your life.
Granted, when you picture the typical gardening enthusiast you think of sweating, digging, insects and clothes you’ll never be able to wear again! However, here are 5 reasons why gardening can be good for your health and why you need to start doing it now!
1. It burns calories
Gardening is a great way to be outdoors in the sunshine and to burn some calories while you’re at it! With so much going on, it can be hard to squeeze in gym time. Finally, the weekend arrives and you can’t wait to relax or have some “me” time! So, would you rather go to that intense fitness class or spend a few hours creating a beautiful home for your plants?
2. Improves strength
Not only does it burn calories, but gardening can be a great work out for your arms, core, and legs! With all that lifting, digging, shifting, and planting, you can be sure to improve your overall strength and stamina (and maybe get a few abs along the way!)
On a gorgeous day, you can spend the whole day outside in the fresh air and sunlight. Soaking up some sun is essential for your immune system! We spend so much time indoors, a lot of us lack the vitamin D our body needs. Vitamin D helps you absorb Calcium which helps to keep your bones strong, skin fresh and brain sharp!
4. Relieves stress and anxiety
Working outdoors with nature releases happy hormones! Gardening can make our levels of serotonin and dopamine (the hormones that make us feel great!) rise substantially and help our cortisol levels (stress hormones) fall. It’s also a great way to vent anger and get all that aggression out! Plants are a great escape from the stresses of everyday life and can encourage peacefulness. Who doesn’t like the smell of nature?
5. Eat healthier
Growing your own fruit and vegetable patch can be incredibly rewarding, and watching your plants grow and develop over time can make you think about where your food comes from. Many gardening enthusiasts start experimenting with growing their own food at home. Eating healthier will be easier taking a few steps to your backyard than driving to your local grocery! Eating fresh, organic homegrown food is excellent for you and your family’s diet and health!
So there you go, with the right tools, hard work, and decor, you can transform your outdoor space into a relaxing family hangout spot, as well as improving your health along the way!