The last month or so have provided no enticement to venture outside for any amount of time, let alone garden, but there are many reasons why you should rug up and head out.
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Our ancestors from many thousands of years ago gardened primarily to sustain their bodies, and this is still a valid reason but there are now many other reasons to get outside and get your hands dirty.
I truly believe that if everyone did a little gardening (or a lot) there would be less gym memberships wasted and better mental health across our society. It’s a form of therapy and you reap the rewards.
Gardening is one of those wonderful exercises that not only gets the heart pumping but also provides a great sense of satisfaction and gratitude.
Here are some reasons why you should garden:
Exercise: Ff done regularly, gardening is great for our bodies. It helps prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, adult-onset diabetes and osteoporosis. Some studies show gardening can offer enough physical activity to keep older adults in shape.
Nutrition: Gardeners tend to eat more fruit and vegetables than other folk. The yummiest, freshest fruit and veg you can get your hands on will be what you can grow in your own garden. Have you ever sunk your teeth into a freshly sprouted asparagus or a bright red strawberry out of your own
garden, there is nothing quite so delicious. Many studies have shown that consuming more fruit and veg will reduce heart disease.
Nature: It’s wonderful to interact with nature and feeling the healing properties at work in our bodies. With Vitamin D making headlines at the moment, what better way to catch some than spending some time in the garden, and in winter you are less likely to get burnt. Studies have shown that people that spend time outside tend to suffer fewer complaints, take less medication and recover from ill health faster.
Stress relief: Gardening is a brilliant stress relieving activity, it has shown to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Brain health: Studies of older folk over a period of 16 years has shown that those that gardened regularly had a 36 per cent lower risk of dementia than non gardeners, even if a number of other health issues were taken into account.
Don’t forget pests are out and about in winter too, so a spot of weeding never goes astray.
If that’s not enough to make you want to put on your thermals and spend a few hours in your garden, then I’m not sure what will.
