Gardening isn’t the coolest of hobbies. In fact, it’s usually associated with old people, but having a green thumb is beneficial to all who partake.
Not only will you have a garden to be proud of, but you are also exercising and benefiting your mental health, all while spending time outside. If that doesn’t sound good enough already, here are some more reasons to get into the garden.
It’s A Workout
Forget the treadmill, spin class or an exhausting jog outside – it’s time to start enjoying your exercise. When you are being active and pulling out weeds or planting flowers, you will burn on average 300 calories an hour!
Even mowing the lawn will burn between 250-350 an hour. Because it doesn’t feel like exercise, you will have more stamina, and three hours of gardening is the same as an hour in the gym.
This is perfect for those who hate exercising and aren’t physically capable of performing high cardio. Lose weight and be rewarded for your efforts at the same time.
Free Stress Relief
Everyone knows that exercising releases endorphins which can help reduce stress, anger and depression and gardening is the perfect way to trigger them. How often have you wanted to throw something when you are angry?
Take that frustration and channel it into weeding or digging. By ripping out brambles or trashing some weeds, you will exert your anger in a safe, productive way.
Beat up your garden and you will have something beautiful to look at when you are done. Much better than trying to hold it in!
Improve Your Health
Being outside in the direct sunlight can increase your happiness and stop Seasonal Affective Disorder. Plus, moving around will reduce your risk of dangers like strokes and osteoporosis which can be a worry for older individuals.
There have also been studies that show participating in physical activities like gardening can help reduce the risk of developing dementia. A group of people between 60 and 70-years-old were studied for over a decade with shocking results.
Those who gardened regularly reduced their risk by 30-50% in comparison to those who didn’t. This is a massive change and can make a huge difference in a person’s life.
It can also help to improve your immune system as you are handling dirt and absorbing vitamin D. That will help your body absorb calcium which will help bone health and keep your body healthy.
Responsibility And Pride
Being in charge of a garden and maintaining plants is a great way of teaching yourself responsibility. You can’t just plant and forget most flowers so you will have to maintain them.
This is great for people who are struggling with a lack of purpose or direction. It can be very beneficial for those who have mental health issues and would like to be held accountable for something.
It’s a very sensory activity and is a good way to enhance your awareness of the senses you might usually ignore. There are a lot of different smells, colors, and textures with the plants and flowers, which helps engage your brain.
This is great for keeping older brains active, but also with children who are learning to explore their senses. It is an activity for the whole family to enjoy so you can get started early.
Grow Your Own Produce
When you have a garden you can start growing fruit and vegetables. Not only will it give you a huge sense of satisfaction, but it will also help improve your diet.
Nothing will encourage you to eat your five a day more than if you grew the ingredients yourself. Start with easy items and once you have mastered them, see if you are up to the challenge of something harder.
Feel Connected With The World
Being outside with nature and experiencing different seasons will make you feel more immersed than just being inside. Planting flowers and waiting for them to grow is an exciting and rewarding task. Even if you don’t have an outdoor garden, there are lots of ways your can plant beautiful plants doing your very own indoor Urban Gardening.
It is also easy to get in the zone when you are gardening like with meditation and you will find your brain free to explore and resolve any worries you may have.