In addition to providing nutritious vegetables and fruits for the table and beautiful flowers to decorate it, gardening offers a variety of health benefits, exposure to vitamin D. We have been independently researching and testing products for more than 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
In addition to the physical exercise you'll do to care for an orchard, a productive plot can also promote a better diet by supplying fresh and healthy produce. The Dietary Guidelines recommend eating at least 2 cups of vegetables and 1 ½ cups of fruit a day to get the nutrients you need and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, only 1 in 10 U.S. adults meets those recommendations, according to the CDC.
A great benefit of gardening is that it can help reduce the risks of heart attack or stroke in people who regularly participate in it. You could grab your garden tools, go out and spend a few hours caring for your plants to help reduce your anxiety and stress levels, and this can lower your blood pressure. In turn, this removes a lot of stress from the cardiovascular system. Research shows that people over the age of 60 who participate in gardening activities are 30% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people in the same age group who don't grow gardening.
When it comes to reversing or stopping global climate change, there are many things you can do on an individual level. Recycling, car-sharing, the use of energy-efficient appliances and hybrid cars help. But did you know that you can add your backyard garden to that list? Gardens provide vital green space to reduce greenhouse gases, reduce the need to buy things, allow kitchen waste to be recycled and many other positive aspects for our planet, according to a report by the National Wildlife Federation. Gardening and gardening are moderate-intensity exercises, which we all need every day.
Children ages 3 to 5 need three hours of physical activity each day, and older children need a minimum of one hour a day. While taking care of your family's garden doesn't require the strenuous activity of, for example, running or playing individual tennis, it's still beneficial to your body. All of the above (physical activity, stress reduction, being outdoors) can help everyone sleep longer and better. And better sleep, in turn, can improve children's behavior, health, school performance and overall well-being.
Why does gardening seem to be so beneficial to your health? Combine physical activity with social interaction and exposure to nature and sunlight. Sunlight lowers blood pressure and increases vitamin D levels in the summer42, and the fruits and vegetables produced have a positive impact on the diet. Gardening restores dexterity and strength, and the aerobic exercise involved can easily consume the same amount of calories that would be spent in a gym. Digging, raking and mowing lawns are particularly calorie-intensive; 43 there's a gym outside many windows.
The social interaction provided by community and therapeutic garden projects for people with learning disabilities and poor mental health can counteract social isolation. In addition, it has also been reported that the social benefits of these projects may delay symptoms of dementia44 (an effect that could be due in part to the beneficial effects of exercise). Patients who are recovering from a myocardial infarction or stroke find that exercising in a garden, using paretic limb restriction therapy, for example, is more effective, enjoyable and sustainable than therapy in formal exercise settings. For some patients, gardening can even create employment.
There are also successful programs that involve volunteers to help older people who are unable to manage their gardens, and both the volunteer and the owner benefit from social interaction and products and a shared interest. Interestingly, the benefit of green spaces may not simply be related to physical activity,27,28, but could depend more on better social interaction. Aloe vera plants have many possible benefits, which are relatively easy to grow and process at home. Gardening has been associated with a lower prevalence of dementia and with positive health effects in several countries36,37, and economic benefits have been demonstrated, for example, for mental health services.
A study looked at this benefit of gardening and lasted several years and took people who had been diagnosed with depression and involved them in a 12-week gardening intervention. While gardening may not be a high-intensity cardiovascular sweat test, it still provides powerful heart health benefits. Health professionals should also encourage teaching the skills and benefits of gardening in schools. I invite you to continue reading and discover the various benefits, big and small, of gardening that you can enjoy every time you sit down to take care of your plants.
Moderate exercise, weeding and caring for your garden are other benefits of gardening, as they can help you feel more tired. It doesn't matter if you're an amateur gardener or a professional-level horticulturist, you spend time digging in the soil and taking care of your plants, you too can enjoy these various benefits of gardening. All the small movements needed when planting vegetables and caring for them are an advantage of gardening, as they can help to slowly improve hand strength and dexterity. Gardening is all about creativity, and one of the great advantages of gardening is that you can let your creativity thrive.
You can grab a pair of work gloves, go to your garden and know that they help protect your memory with this benefit of gardening. Instead, they should emphasize potential health benefits for patients.70 such as improvements in strength, balance and dexterity. This benefit of gardening can help several body systems be healthier overall, and this can provide you with a better quality of life. Over time, you'll use every major muscle group you have when working in your garden, and this is one of the main benefits of gardening for older people.
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