Everyone knows that gardening helps to save the budget. However, the benefits of labor are not limited to this. It is proven that working on the land has a positive effect on our physical and mental health.
And the beneficial effects of gardening extend to both young and old people.
1. Gardening reduces stress levels
Many of us live in a constant state of stress, and this can’t help but affect our health. Prolonged stress adversely affects the cardiovascular, immune, nervous, and other systems of the body. It causes many diseases: hypertension, coronary heart disease, colds, depression – and can lead to a worsening of existing chronic diseases. Those who are constantly exposed to stress factors wear out their bodies 40% faster than people who live in harmony with themselves and the world around them.
This is where gardening comes in. A recent Dutch study proved that working on the ground leads to lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. The participants of the experiment were divided into two groups and after a highly stressful situation, some were asked to work in the garden and the others to read. Well, the first group had much higher cortisol levels than the second group. Gardening caused a strong rush of positive emotions, which was the reason for the decrease in the level of the “stress” hormone.
2. Gardening replaces physical exercise
Most of us catastrophically lack physical activity. In the study, working on a “remote”, and even sitting at the computer, only worsened the problem by reducing to a minimum the amount of movement. But the movement is life.
Work on the garden in this situation – a real lifeline. You can, of course, go to the gym or the pool, but how many can afford it? But the work in the garden – it’s quite another matter. Weeding, planting, mowing the lawn, removing weeds, harvesting – these and other gardening activities make all the muscles of your body, especially the muscles of the back, abdominal muscles, and arms move and work.
Working in the garden is also good for the cardiovascular system: the heart muscle is strengthened, which reduces the risk of heart disease and increases the body’s endurance.
In addition, work on the site helps to reduce weight – all without grueling diets and special exercises. So, for example, when weeding almost clean seedbeds for an hour of work you will burn 250 kcal. And if you are “lucky” and the seedbeds are heavily neglected, then removing weeds will help you get rid of an extra 400 kcal. Planting flowers and cleaning the garden will burn the same amount. But harvesting leaves – a pretty hard job – will help you burn 450 kcal. Not a bad way to get in shape, don’t you think!
3. Gardening improves mental capacity
Mental health is also very important for a normal, fully human life. It is not the least important in its enhancement is the work on the ground.
Gardening activities are extremely beneficial for the work of the brain. They have a positive effect on a person’s cognitive abilities. As a result of active physical activity, memory improves, concentration increases, and speech and thinking develop. Such an activity will also be useful for students, because they often experience academic stress and if they do not want to turn to the online essay writing service for help, gardening will be able to get rid of the stress for them.
In addition, according to recent studies, gardening reduces the risk of dementia by 36%.
4. Gardening helps with some chronic illnesses
Not only do plants need sunlight – but we also need it. It is under the influence of sunlight in the human body to produce a very necessary vitamin D. It has a direct impact on the formation of the skeleton, helps improve immunity, is involved in the regulation of blood pressure, affects the heart, and is necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Consequently, vitamin D helps control type 2 diabetes and is necessary for people with heart, bone, and immune system diseases, as well as those who have problems with metabolism.
The easiest way to get vitamin D is to spend some time in the sun. However, during sun “therapy” one should remember about moderation and not overdo it.
5. Gardening brings people together
For city residents, a trip to the country house is a good opportunity to get rid of isolation and find people close in spirit. Exchange of advice, opinions, successes, and worries (didn’t sprout, withered, grow badly, someone ate it, etc.) really unites people, helps to forget about the bad – and already sad thoughts disappear somewhere, and their place is taken by the good mood.
6. Gardening improves your mood
Get rid of stress and improve your mood by simply being in nature, which is so lacking in the city, where people spend most of their time indoors. The fresh air, sounds, and beauty of nature help you relax and are a source of joy.
The process of taking care of the plants: pruning, replanting, watering, etc., is also a source of joy. Some gardeners say that they associate these activities with taking care of children, and therefore evoke positive emotions.
In addition, improve their mood, and at the same time increase their self-esteem and the results of their work. There is no greater happiness for a gardener than to see that the seed he planted a few months ago, gradually turned into a tiny sprout, and then grew and gave a harvest! The feeling of satisfaction from contemplating the fruits and flowers grown with one’s own hands gives joy and helps to get rid of depression and other mental illnesses.
7. Gardening helps you stick to a healthy diet
Many people nowadays try to stick to a healthy diet by eating lots of fruits and vegetables. However, only if these products are personally grown by you can you know exactly how safe and healthy they are.
The soil on which the vegetables were grown, the fertilizers that were used during the season, and the means that were used to control diseases and pests – are the components that make up the usefulness of the grown products. Only someone who has grown everything himself can know all these nuances. Thus, you can be absolutely sure of the quality and benefits of only your harvest.