The positive impact of gardening on mental, physical, emotional health: Choosing gardening as your hobby can help you spend more time outdoors and in natural environments and can play a role in helping you manage stress levels, improve sleep quality, and boost your immune system. Plus, spending time outside surrounded by greenery has numerous benefits including increased feelings of happiness and well-being!
While the benefits of gardening are nearly endless, we’ll try to summarize the most important ones in the guide below.
Let’s dive in!
Gardening Can Support Healthy Aging
Gardening is an activity that can support positive aging and reduce the risk of diseases commonly associated with aging, such as arthritis and dementia.
What’s more, gardening requires light to moderate physical activity that strengthens bones and muscles and improves balance, flexibility, range of motion, and coordination. Gardening also provides relaxation and encourages better cognitive functioning as we age.
Last but not least, community gardens represent a great social outlet for aging adults who experience loneliness and isolation.
Pro Tip: How To Start Your Gardening Project at Any Age
One of the greatest benefits of gardening is that this activity has extremely low entry barriers!
After all, all you need is some pots, seeds, and soil to create a small home garden. However, if you are looking to expand your project beyond the borders of your terrace or balcony, you may consider the benefits of starting a personal loan online application. Taking a small personal loan can help you rent a plot or purchase the equipment needed to start a hydroponic or greenhouse system.
While this may seem like an investment at first, having your own garden can lead to cost savings when you can bring to your dinner table your home-grown vegetables, fruits, jams, and flowers!
Gardening Can Ease Anxiety and Depression
Whether you are experiencing the early signs of depression or you are battling anxiety, gardening can improve your mental and emotional well-being. This activity engages all senses and exposes us to a variety of colors, fragrances, shapes, and tones.
What’s more, working with soil can create a sense of grounding which can be calming for those grappling with mental health issues. Additionally, spending time outdoors can help you avoid risk factors for depression, such as isolation, vitamin D deficiencies, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Growing Fruits and Vegetables Can Teach Patience and Attention
Gardening can serve as a meditation activity that teaches you to nurture patience, attention, and mindfulness. From tending the soil to harvesting your crop of fruits or vegetables, each step requires ongoing care, which has been seen to help people with attention-deficit disorders.
Moreover, growing produce in your own backyard can encourage you to be more mindful about healthy nutrition choices, which keeps diseases such as obesity and diabetes at bay.
Spending Time Outdoors Can Lower Stress and Prevent Mood Swings
Spending time outdoors helps lower the levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. This chemical is responsible for your “flight-or-fight” response and, by learning how to manage it, you can start building more mindful interactions with the people and environment around you.
Gardening can also improve mood and relaxation. Lastly, gardening activities are a form of light exercise, which can cause the body to release feel-good hormones such as endorphins. These chemicals are the body’s natural painkillers and mood-lifters!
Outdoor Activities Can Strengthen Your Muscles and Bones
Outdoor activities such as gardening can help strengthen muscles, bones, and joints. This type of low-impact activity is perfect for those individuals looking to add movement into their daily routine without stressing their joints or bones.
Exposure to vitamin D, fresh air, and bacteria in the soil can also improve your overall well-being and boost your immune system’s ability to fight diseases and infections.
Green Care and Therapeutic Gardens Can Support the Global Healthcare System
According to 2018 studies, green care and therapeutic gardens provide a holistic approach to health care, offering people with physical and mental health needs a safe space to engage in recreational activities. They also provide people with an opportunity to connect with nature, improve their physical conditioning, engage in social interactions, regulate stress, boost self-confidence, and learn new skills.
All of this can help people stay healthier for longer and age in a positive way, which can significantly lighten the burden on the global healthcare system and make quality care more accessible to all.
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