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Gardening is a hobby that many people love, and even if you don’t enjoy it, it’s something that has to be done to keep your property looking at its best. But as well as being fun and, in many cases, essential, gardening is also great for your health in a variety of different ways. When you are making your garden into a more beautiful space, you are using both cognitive and physical skills, so both your mind and your body are going to benefit. Read on to find out more about how gardening can offer several health benefits that you might not have considered before.
Anything with the word ‘cardio’ in it relates to the heart, so when you think of better cardiovascular function, you know that it means gardening is, essentially, good for your heart, and if that’s not a reason to get outside and in the fresh air and start weeding, we don’t know what is.
In order for your heart to benefit from the gardening you are doing, you do need to put some effort in, and you’ll have to get a little out of breath – once this happens, your heart will start beating faster and giving itself a healthy workout. Since we’re meant to exercise a little every day, if you are gardening that will count and you won’t have to do anymore as long as your heart was beating more quickly by the end.
Dexterity is something that we might not realize is a problem until it’s too late to do anything about it, but of course, if our dexterity is affected in any way, everything becomes difficult. From tying shoelaces to driving a car and potentially working at all, dexterity is crucial. Arthritis is a big issue in this regard, and it can be helped somewhat with by taking vitamin K supplements and including more of it in the diet.
Gardening can also be a good way to combat arthritis and other dexterity problems. The more you garden, the more strength and dexterity you can build up. If you already have dexterity issues, just make sure you pick plants that don’t need a lot of tending – in this way, the task won’t overwhelm you, and you can still benefit from getting outside.
We mentioned at the start that gardening was good for your mental health as well as your physical health, and one of the reasons for this is that it boosts your mood. In fact, any kind of physical activity can offer a ‘natural high’ thanks to the positive hormones that the body releases. Endorphins as these hormones are called will directly impact how you feel, making you feel much happier and reducing stress and anxiety.
Gardening, in particular, will help to keep you happy not just because of the hormones you’re producing, but because of the results you can see from your hard work. Plants growing, weeds disappearing, and even food being produced will all make you happy.
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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