What are the health benefits of gardening?

Growing your garden, whether indoors or outdoors is a fascinating experience. But if you are worried about getting a little dirt under the nails, some surprising benefits are waiting to go green. It’s true that gardening is an activity keeping you on the toes but do you know that it is one of the ways to escape from the humdrum of life and keep stress at bay? No wonder some people spend an enormous amount of time in the garden.

Before you start making your gardening plans and push yourself to work, here are 8 surprising health benefits of gardening you are yet to know.

1.Burning calories

Gardening may take a lot of your energy and is a hard workout that may take an entire day. But working in the garden for three to four hours also burns calories. Even the basic gardening tasks, such as raking leaves, trimming the branches, and mowing the lawn are calorie-burning activities. If you don’t prefer going to the gym, gardening provides the opportunity for low-intensity workouts.

2.Builds your self-esteem

You may not be a born gardener but the activities to grow and harvesting plants make you a different person. Growing plants is a positive activity and accomplishing new tasks provide an impetus to your self-esteem.

3.Say goodbye to stress

Gardening is a form of exercise, so it releases endorphins allowing you to feel relaxed and satisfied and relief from stress. Many people suffer from seasonal depression during the winter months when sunlight is severely restricted. Research reveals that gardening reduces cortisol, a stress hormone in the brain that may affect a person’s learning abilities and memory.

4.Improve your immune system

Working in the garden exposes you to the sun for long hours and helps your body to absorb Vitamin D, which improves the immune system and keeps your bones strong. With one in five people suffering from a lack of Vitamin D deficiency, gardening is sure to work wonders.

5.Steer clear of the morning blues

If you are feeling low, stop reaching for fad foods or go for the fizzy drinks; instead grab your gardening tools and head towards the yard. You can improve your mood drastically and do away with emotions like anxiety, anger, and depression. Compared to other leisure activities like reading, gardening is a stronger mood booster.

6.Stay connected to nature

Life’s complications hardly leave time for the activities you love and to stay connected to nature. Thanks to activities like gardening that allows you to feel nature through the plants you grow in your garden. Get a glimpse of the flowers blooming or the trees spreading wider from your home and become one with nature.

7.Growing fruits and vegetables

Growing fruits and vegetables motivate you to enjoy a diet you love. If you are planning to switch to a better and healthier food habit, gardening is the activity to keep your health intact.

8.Improves cognitive abilities

Gardening shows significant benefits when it comes to improving cognitive abilities. While it keeps your mind and body active, it may also encourage you to socialize with neighbors. For retired people, gardening restores the sense of purpose and gives you some long-term goals to accomplish. To keep your mind sharp and the body active, gardening is one of the most established activities to follow.

Gardening comes with some proven health benefits. While it is a way to stay fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle, gardening equals physical and emotional well-being.