LEARN THE 13 WAYS GARDENING BOOSTS YOUR HEALTH

Most of us know instinctively that gardening is good for us. Getting out in the fresh air and tackling the garden is a way of taking exercise that is enjoyable as well as beneficial. Apart from burning calories gardening can also reduce the risk of a stroke or heart problems. I found this article by Fran Sorin on the Gardening Know How website which lists thirteen reasons why gardening is good for your health.

The results of a multitude of research is now showing what gardeners have intrinsically known for generations ? that gardening is good for your health.
Now more than ever, as our culture becomes more technologically obsessed and increasingly nature deprived, this information is critical to digest and embrace. The reason why? Because our country is in a national health crisis with substantial economic and social implications.
Here are some statistics that bear this out:

The U.S. public spends more than 90% of their time indoors, leading an extremely sedentary, disconnected, unhealthy, and unnatural lifestyle.

The latest statistics show that 33% of U.S. adults are obese, incurring $148 billion in medical costs annually and contributing to 18% of U.S. adult deaths.

Publicly available data shows U.S. healthcare costs are the highest per capita in the world?and that amount continues to increase.

Recent research funded by Disney shows that 65% of U.S. parents see it as a ?very serious? problem that their kids are not spending more time outdoors. According to the survey, this is equal or a close second to their concerns about bullying, the quality of education, and obesity. Preschoolers spend about 12 hours a week outside, and by the age of 16, our children are spending less than 7 hours a week in nature.

Ideally, these statistics will put some fire in your belly to spend more time outdoors in nature and gardening. But those of you who may need more hard core facts to help galvanize you to get your hands in the dirt, below are

13 Reasons Why Gardening Is Good For Your Health

1. Gardening can reduce your risk of stroke (along with other activities as jogging and swimming) as reported in ?Stroke: Journal of The American Heart Association?.
2. Gardening burns calories. Gardening is considered moderate to high-intensity exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ^[4], you can burn up to 330 calories during just one hour of light gardening and yard work ? more than lifting weights for the same amount of time. The National Institute of Health goes so far as to recommend 30 to 45 minutes of gardening three to five times a week as part of a good strategy
3. Heavy gardening? is not only helpful in weight maintenance but also in reducing the risk of heart disease and other life threatening diseases. Just 30 minutes of moderate-level physical activity a few times a week can prevent and control high blood pressure. In fact, gardening scored a place on the?The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ^[5]?s recommendation list for battling high blood pressure.