TOP 6 HEALTH BENEFITS OF GARDENING

It’s fairly obvious really that gardening is good for our health. We all know that fresh air and exercise are beneficial and where do we get these two but in the garden? The gentle practice of tending a garden is also a great way to relieve the stresses of modern life. I came across an article on the Dan330 website which explains the six reasons why gardening is good for our health and why everyone should take it up.

Gardening has so many mental, physical, and health?benefits. Here are 6 reasons why you should take up gardening as a hobby- or why you should continue gardening if you already do so.?

Picture:?Gardening Ideas

1. It acts as a natural stress reliever?
Gardening keeps your hands and body busy and while calming your mind.
A recent study in the Netherlands suggests that gardening can fight stress even better than other relaxing leisure activities.
After completing a stressful task, two groups of people were instructed to either read indoors or garden for 30 minutes. Afterward, the group that gardened reported being in a better mood than the reading group, and they also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Credit:?http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/08/why.gardening.good/

Picture:?Stylish Walks

2. Exercise
You are up and down, bending over, walking, and more when you garden. This movement is great daily exercise to participate in. So many people sit on average about 8 hours a day, if not more. Excess sitting can increase your chances of obesity, depression, high blood pressure, and more. Gardening could be a great way to add some light (or heavy) activity to your day.