Why does gardening seem to be so beneficial for health? It combines physical activity with social interaction and exposure to nature and sunlight. Sunlight lowers blood pressure, as well as increased vitamin D levels in the summer,42 and the fruits and vegetables that are produced have a positive impact on the diet.
In response to your peaceful mind, your physical health will improve. Gardens and landscapes have long been used as sanctuaries to escape the stresses of life. Growing vegetables at home costs money on seeds and supplies, such as fertilizer, but a single plant often produces a lot of produce, so you often save money by growing your own. For example, if you feel like serving salsa but don’t have a pot on hand, you can use tomatoes, peppers, and onions from your garden to make your own.
However, the most recent federal dietary guidelines for Americans reveal that about 80 percent of the U.S. population does not meet this barrier, while 90 percent of the population is also lazy when it comes to their vegetable intake. A beautiful, compact garden filled with your favorite vegetables will increase these numbers for you and your family. People who worked in orchards had significantly better self-esteem, total mood disorders and overall health compared to those who did not grow crops, according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Public Health. In fact, it’s something that almost anyone can participate in. Fried runs a horticultural therapy group for Alzheimer’s patients as an activity for them with their caregivers and families.
As we mentioned earlier, gardening helps you stay relaxed and attentive. Focusing on the smallest details of gardening, like pruning weeds or just harvesting your plants, can calm you down and help you flow instead of forcing your way through that art project. But if you’re not really the “artist” type, you can still reap the psychological benefits of taking care of something other than yourself. “When people have a purpose, they feel happier. They feel like they have value,” explains Rebecca Don, a senior behavioral health consultant at the University of Iowa. After retirement, many people struggle with fewer socialization opportunities, and community gardens can be a fun way to interact with others while providing benefits to neighborhoods. Among the benefits of gardening for students and children, the University of Vermont notes that those who grow their own food tend to eat more fresh produce.
Help picky eaters by planting vegetables and watch them devour the crop. Things like weeding, digging, and raking are a good exercise. Regular exercise reduces anxiety, depression and other mental problems and can help prevent dementia.
Gardening stimulates the mind and keeps us in the present, requiring attention to detail, patterns, distance, depth, distribution and other factors. It’s also a full-spectrum sensory experience, with vibrant colors to see, buzzing insects and water droplets to hear, aromatic plants and soil to smell, different textures to feel, and fruits, vegetables, and even some flowers to try. Dr. Benzil notes that there are many brain health benefits to regular gardening. While there have been several studies that focus on how gardening is a great therapeutic treatment for people with dementia, there is also research that shows that gardening is one of the many activities that may prevent dementia. “When you grow, you expect growth and change,” Fried says.
Some studies have shown that gardening can help prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of heart attack. But remember, just like any physical activity, do some simple stretches before and after your gardening. Their plants use sunlight to make their food through the process of photosynthesis. Your skin works in the same way by absorbing vitamin D during gardening.
The five-year plan for the NHS54 highlights the potential importance of prevention in reducing the growing pressure on the NHS and social services. Gardening helps people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia by providing a safe and stimulating environment. For more health benefits of gardening, look to planting a healing garden.
It doesn’t matter if you are an amateur gardener or a professional-level horticulturist, spending time digging in the ground and taking care of your plants, you can also enjoy these various benefits of gardening. If you’re not convinced by the concept, I’m going to change your mind with this article. The mental health benefits of green exercise activities deginkgogroen.nl and ecological care. I support Buck2’s proposal to include gardens and gardening in England’s NHS programmes to improve public health, and I hope health professionals will be at the forefront of the campaign. They should also support the long-standing charity Fields in Trust, which campaigns to preserve and enlarge public green spaces.