How Gardening Benefits Your Health and Wellbeing
Being out in nature can benefit both your mind and body. Whether you take a walk, spend time in your garden or find a place to sit and observe the natural beauty of green spaces, it is proven to ease feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. According to a study conducted by the University of Exeter, you should spend a minimum of 2 hours in nature per week to feel the benefits. They prove that regular exposure to a natural environment results in lower obesity levels, mental health disorders and improved cognitive development in children.
Gardens are our own little piece of nature and really can become our wellbeing sanctuary. If you need space and a place to rid yourselves of the stresses in life, hop on out into the garden and it will help to improve your mood as well as your physical fitness. Gardening is so good for you that GPs have begun prescribing it as a way to manage stress and in Lambeth, GPs have opened a community garden for their patrons to enjoy.
The Main Benefits of Gardening
There are so many benefits to gardening, let’s take a look at why you should be pulling on your wellies and getting outside.
A Place to Exercise
This is no doubt an obvious one, but gardening is a great way to burn significant calories. It is also one of those practical jobs, which doesn’t feel like laborious exercise. When you are digging your flower beds and planting your perennials you are getting the best of both worlds. Moving your body, which is essential for cardiovascular health and weight management and making your garden beautiful. Being outdoors also gives your body a healthy dose of sunlight prompting it to make vitamin D, this helps your body to absorb calcium which is essential for bone health (however be sure to wear a protective sunscreen). By getting your exercise in the garden you will feel doubly accomplished having burnt calories and having lots of nice plants to show for your labour.
A Place Grow your Own Food
Eating at least five fruits and vegetables a day is important for maintaining a healthy weight. By growing your own food, you are more likely to introduce new flavours and variety into your diet. Planting and maintaining your own vegetable patch is a great motivator for eating more nutritious food. It also encourages you to eat less meat which is now recommended for a healthy life and environment. Growing your own will help to create a long-lasting healthy eating habit and it’s great for children to get involved too. Plant things you would like to eat and try. Don’t forget to include herbs that can be added to a multitude of meals. Of course, our gardens are often shared with a fair share of animals, birds and insects which will see your veg patch as a delicious buffet so protect them with a natural deterrent. Look at a fruit cage supplier online such as William James & Co who provide a range of shapes, sizes and styles to suit your garden.
A Place to be Mindful
In this day and age life can feel like one long marathon. We are continually adding to our long list of responsibilities and never seem to switch our minds off from one day to the next. If we never stop and take a step back, we are more likely to stay in a state of perpetual anxiety. Practising mindfulness could be the key to helping us relax and shut down for a while. To be mindful we need to pay attention to the present moment, that way we can notice more things that are around us. Getting out in our gardens is a great place to be in a more mindful zone. Take notice of the way the sun feels on your skin, the breeze in your hair. Take time to breathe and enjoy that sweet smell of the grass and flowers. Listen to the many sounds of your garden. The rustling branches, crunching leaves and snapping of twigs. Close your eyes and listen to the soft bird song overhead. This is a sanctuary, a place to forget about everything and to be one with nature. Try to make mindfulness a part of your daily routine, to get started the NHS have some great tips on how to be more mindful. Along with nature, this is a great way to improve your mood and wellbeing.
A Place to Build Confidence
Believe it or not, gardening is a fantastic place to build confidence and boost your self-esteem. It is a place you can accomplish things you never thought were possible. By successfully growing and neutering your own plants, flowers and even food shows that you can accomplish something when you try. Whether you are new or a seasoned gardener there is no greater sense of pride in knowing that you were the key to their success. The garden doesn’t care what you look like or how clever you are, it’s a place to get your hands dirty and a place to be happy.
Gardening is such a great way to start your journey to a happier healthy you and better still bring the whole family on board and enjoy it together.
