Millions of people around the world are attracted by the beauty of plants, flowers, and nature and have gardening as a hobby. They feel the relaxation and joy of taking care of their plants, both outdoors and indoors … and sometimes even talk to their favorite ones. It’s a fact that many of these people are some of the longest-living people of the world and that there are a ton of health benefits that gardening has to offer.
First, it’s a form of exercise, which may be ranging from moderate to high intensity, depending on the type and length of your gardening activities. It’s a well-balanced exercise and some of your muscles are used which are not used when jogging or lifting weights. A study from the Iowa University showed that an average man can burn up to 200 calories and an average woman up to 150 calories just by 30 minutes of moderate gardening activities, such as pruning.
So it’s no surprise that gardening boosts our immune system and may lessen the risk of various diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis, as many credible studies by universities around the world have shown.
Moreover, it’s a great way to relieve stress and escape from the busy and stressful life of the modern day world. Studies suggest that it can actually fight stress better than many other relaxing activities and can significantly reduce the level of cortisol, which is the stress hormone, especially when done outdoors under the sun. The sun of course provides us with vitamin D which is very essential for our bones and immune system and helps boost our spirits.
Gardening is a great way to live in the present and put aside all the negative thoughts that come to us. It can be really beneficial to our mental health. Anyone can enter into a state of mindfulness and tranquility when observing the beauty of a flower and smelling its nice odor. Gardening can also be an excellent method of meditation when you are focused while doing it.
To sum up, gardening can really make you happier and healthier and there is no reason why anyone should not consider making it as a hobby. If you’re wondering about gardening for beginners, YardYum is a great platform to get started, where anyone can find gardening space, regardless of where you live.
Gardening is surprisingly not that difficult to do and does not require much of a financial investment to get going. Once you start it, you will most likely do it everyday and won’t ever want to quit. And of course, as an added bonus, you’ll have your own fresh and healthy vegetables, fruits, and herbs to eat, or share with family and friends. Nice!
