There is more research coming out all the time to demonstrate the many health benefits of gardening.
One thing most Americans are concerned about is relieving stress, losing weight, proper nutrition and getting enough exercise. The one thing most of us have found out this spring when we started to clean up the flower beds, prune the fruit trees and general lawn work is those sore tired muscles. Like everything else the more you put into outside yard work the more benefits there are.
One thing to keep in mind is to try to vary the type and duration of the gardening or yard work. This will work different muscle groups, keep us from being bored or burned out on one specific task and possibly stay outside longer. So you might start out doing a little weeding in the flower bed then move on to the garden, then do some watering, coming back in the evening to mow, the next day or evening is when you would trim. The idea is to plan what needs to be done and stretch it out over the week to vary the different activities.
If you think about the different types of work you do each one either exercises a different muscle group, or stretches a muscle group or works on your cardiovascular system. By stretching up to prune some branches after weedeating that will help stretch out the lower back. Research shows exercising could help prevent many types of diseases such are heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, overall flexibility, balance, arthritis, reduces stress, counteracts depression, improves sleep and adds to the lifespan just to name a few. For women who want to help prevent osteoporosis and do not want to go to the gym to lift weights there are many weight bearing activities associated with yard work and gardening.
Most of us need an excuse to exercise and get off the couch. This could be yard work, gardening, wanting to stay in shape to play sports, hunt, fish, or to just have a healthy lifestyle. You do not need to have an acre of yard or garden to take care of, just having a small yard or some containers of plants or vegetable can be the excuse to get up and do something. The mental aspect is often overlooked, the peace of mind is hard to calculate, the thinking used to determine if you have an insect problem, disease problem or a weed problem, when to plant, when to harvest or when to water and what to do about it all contributes to using our grey matter to better use than watching TV.
The calories burned can vary from 50 calories per hour watering to 240 calories per hour spading, or walking with a mower. Gardening activities can rival other forms of exercise. The other benefit is the social time spent with family and friends or the neighbors. This is a really good way to visit with the kids or other significant people in your life. Do not forget those tasty vegetables or beautiful flowers we can enjoy all summer long.
