5 Reasons to Start a Garden
It’s a hobby you can engage in no matter your age. Spending time in a garden is one of the most popular hobbies, and it’s increasing in popularity as people discover the tranquility of spending time in a garden and the way gardening saves money. If you’re on the fence as to whether gardening is for you, here are five benefits of gardening that will surely convince you.
Gardening is Exercise
Most people don’t get enough physical activity to stay at their healthiest. Gardening is a chance to get a workout without going to the gym or investing in a personal trainer. When you garden, you move your body in ways that strengthen every muscle in your body, including your core. Weeding, digging, pushing a wheelbarrow, lifting pots, and carrying buckets or bags of soil bolsters arm and leg strength and fitness in a way that not even lifting weights can do. You’re building functional strength and teaching your muscles to work better together to get something done. Plus, did you know that gardening burns over 300 calories per hour? Skip the gym and get out your gardening tools!
Gardening is a Stress Reliever
Gardening is a way to relieve stress, which many people overlook. What could be more relaxing than spending time in a green environment with a gentle breeze blowing and the sounds of singing birds in the background? When you place your hands in the soil, you can feel your body relax and your mind enters a meditative state. The encounter with nature also boosts the release of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps regulate mood. It’s a chance to decompress and stop ruminating over problems.
Gardening is an escape that helps you relax and focus on the present moment, the gentle interaction with nature. Plus, it cultivates mindfulness and increases your connection with the natural environment. Studies show that community gardening is beneficial for relieving stress, as it involves nature, movement, and interaction with other people.
Gardening Supplies Healthy Food
When you grow your produce, you know where your food comes from and whether it contains pesticides. That type of transparency is hard to come by in a society that values fast food and mass-produced items. Gardening is an opportunity to eat more vegetables and serve more veggies to your family. Studies show kids are more likely to eat vegetables if they help grow them. It’s a chance for them to learn about healthy foods and play a role in bringing them into the world. They’re more likely to eat their veggies if they helped grow and prepare them. Research also shows kids who garden are more likely to eat a healthy diet as adults.
Gardening is a Chance to Get Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, produced by exposing your skin to sunlight. It’s a vitamin that many people lack and don’t know. The reason? They spend too much time indoors where the sun never touches their skin. It’s hard to get enough vitamin D through diet since so few foods contain this essential vitamin. Gardening is a way to naturally boost your vitamin D levels, without taking a supplement.
Gardening is an Opportunity to Spend Time in Nature
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people spend 90% of their time indoors. Most people live in urban areas removed from parks and green spaces. Research finds that spending time in a green environment reduces rumination and worry. Even if you don’t have access to parks and hiking trails, you can build your garden paradise and enjoy its beauty. When spending time outdoors in the sunlight, helps raise your vitamin D level. Since people spend so much time inside, the rates of vitamin D deficiency are high. One study found almost 42% of people have a low vitamin D level.
The Bottom Line
Even if you only have a small space, building a garden is possible. Some people even garden from containers they place on their patios. So, explore the wonderful world of gardening and the healthy food it produces. Your health and well-being will also benefit.
