Many people associate gardening with getting older, assuming it’s a pastime you only start to enjoy when you have more free time. However, you may be surprised to learn that gardening can also benefit your wellbeing. Live to 100 aims to introduce more people to this valuable hobby and highlight how gardening can improve your health.
Exercise
While gardening isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘exercise’, you’d be surprised how many calories can be burned by trimming back your hedges and mowing the lawn. Gardening involves far more movement than it appears; you may even work up a bit of a sweat. Unlike going for a grueling run, you often won’t feel as though you are exercising at all, as your focus will be on completing the task—that doesn’t sound all that bad.
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Works on joint pain
Sore joints or muscle injuries can often leave us feeling like we aren’t able to partake in certain activities. Gardening is a great hobby for those who suffer from recurring joint issues. You can choose how rigorous or relaxed you wish your session to be: whether it’s some light pruning or more laborious planting and deck laying. Upholding movement is important at every age, so gardening can act as a great solution for those who wish to keep their joints and body healthy.
Mental health benefits
Another way gardening can improve your health is by treating some of the symptoms of mental health issues. The NHS suggests that ‘gardening can have an impact on psychological distress.’ Being outside can make people feel less isolated, whilst having a project can give sufferers an increased sense of purpose. In some cases, gardening can even be quite sociable; allotments tend to bring neighbours together to form a close-knit community.
Five a day
Gardening doesn’t just improve your health mentally; it can be hugely beneficial to your physical state too. If you happen to nurture your own vegetables—something which is becoming increasingly popular—you’ll be able to eat your own homegrown fruit and veg to fulfill your five a day. There’s something very rewarding about cultivating your own produce; you know how it’s been grown and what fertilisers have been used on it. It also means you can grow your favourite vegetables all year round whilst staying active—win win.
Stress relief
The NHS suggests that 20 minutes of (any) exercise a week can reduce stress and improve your psychological state. The more exercise the better, in fact. Gardening is a great type of exercise that can also lead to stress relief. Those who partake in regular gardening often report feeling less anxious and more relaxed. Much like reading, it’s a great form of escapism and could even be argued as a more proactive solution to physical exercise as it involves more movement and self-constructed goals.
Ongoing project
Many people find it hard to switch off from their work life. By the time rest days come around, many of us find ourselves still thinking about that work project we are managing or those emails we didn’t send out. Gardening is the perfect ongoing home project. It presents a plethora of opportunities in terms of landscaping and reordering, along with general maintenance jobs. Instead of thumbing over work confrontations, you could be releasing your energy into something more worthwhile at home. Like any project, gardening has its rewards—your vegetables or flowers will start flourishing and the garden will begin to look as you had imagined. The rewarding aspect is what draws so many people to this pastime.
Gardening can improve your health dramatically if you embrace it; it is an interest that gives as much as it gets. With this glorious weather that we’ve been graced with as of late, there’s not better time to start!
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