Gardening Is Healthy? It’s True!

April 7, 2016, 5:49 pm

Bright white and purple pansies, rich red geranium hanging baskets, and majestic hot house roses make a smile come to the face. It’s that small smile that makes all the hard work of gardening worth the time. Gardens don’t just make a beautiful or productive yard; they also benefit your health!

Gardening, whether it is varieties of flowers or vegetables, is shown to benefit your health in little ways that add up. A study from Evolutionary Psychology shows that flowers have an immediate and long term positive emotional impact for both men and women. This positive emotional impact helps people be happy, and some psychiatrists believe the process of planting and cultivating a garden relieves stress.

The physical work surrounding gardening also has a positive impact on your health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list light yard work and gardening as a moderate activity, burning 330 calories an hour. The moderate activity you achieve through gardening most days of the week also helps control high blood pressure, according to The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

If you choose fruit, vegetable, or herb gardening, you also have the added benefit of having healthier food to eat. Home grown produce has less chemicals and additives than store bought fruits and veggies. The convenience and access to fresh produce also prompts healthier snacking choices.

With spring around the corner, don’t forget to include the beauty, and health benefits, of a garden in your life.

Sources:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/a22109/health-benefits-gardening/

http://ghk.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/11/54ff77207ee72_-_ep03104132.pdf

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/08/why.gardening.good/

http://www.planetnatural.com/vegetable-gardening-guru/