A New Study Says Gardening Has Significant Health Benefits

Lot of us hate going to the gym. We do not like to strain and sweat with a bit of pain added. However, we want to work out. How about gardening then? Studies reveal that gardening not only provides you a good exercise. There are lots of physical and emotional advantages when you take up a favorite leisure activity as exercise. Gardening is one such.

Researches conducted across various nations reveal the same simple fact. People were made to take up ‘leisure-time physical activity’. They did those activities in varying weekly amounts. The final results arrived from samples across countries like China, Texas, North Carolina. This was compared with various forms of death resulting from diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. The sample was given for leisure time activities which they can take up for durations as they could do. The goal of the research was to find whether the leisure activity created positive health benefits.

This research is quite a unique one. The study was conducted over a duration as long as 11 years. It included a vast sample of 90,000 participants. An annual event conducted by the centers for disease control and prevention served as the data source.

In the study, the ‘leisure-time physical activity’ included right from a simple walk to dancing and gardening. These activities provided more joy than going to a gym. Findings revealed that engaging in these leisure activities from 10 to 59 min can bring down mortality risk to 18%. People who spent 150 to 299 minutes in such activities could see a 31% decrease in mortality due to any reasons. It was obvious that the samples had less dying chances during the survey period.

Besides reduced risk, gardening also showers lots of positive health benefits. Studies reveal that gardening reduces depression, anxiety, and body mass index. It increases the quality of life, satisfaction from life and sense of belonging. Elderly people can also derive a lot of health benefits from gardening. Reduced risk of stress, medication, and falls can improve their health.

In addition, you can get immense happiness and health benefits from your garden. The flower plants can serve as a visual treat. You can grow and consume organic vegetables free of cost. It is a proven fact that children love foods made from their own garden vegetables. That way you can easily make them eat greens and sprouts. All the flowering plants invite birds, squirrels, and butterflies to the garden. Hearing and seeing them can improve your mental health largely. Even when space is limited you can grow a small garden by potting plants. You can get a continuous supply of fresh vegetables, tomatoes, and greens for your daily salad. If you have sufficient space, you can grow fruit trees. Trees like papaya do not have deep roots and need limited space to grow. However, they provide a good yield. Such healthy fruits can prevent nearly 30 types of diseases. 

Growing special plants like ginger, turmeric, etc. can help in the home-grown fight against cancer. These plants do not involve intensive maintenance cost. Yet consuming these regularly can save you from heavy medical expenses. A simple walk along the green patch can reduce anger and negative emotions. This will normalize your blood pressure and sugar levels.

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