The DIY Farmer

Gardening a Boost to Your Wellness

Gardening is one of the few hobbies that boost your overall health. From helping with your mood, to helping you deal with stress. It is giving your body a workout without you even realizing it. Gardeners have consistently shown themselves to be happier and healthier people. Perhaps gardening as a hobby would be something to help when you’re feeling down and out.

Gardening counts as exercise (really!)

It may surprise some of you, but did you know you can get your recommended 30-45 minutes a day of moderate physical activity by gardening?. If you’ve ever maintained one, this might not actually surprise you. If you spend an hour or so gardening, you are sure to feel some aches and pains the next day from muscles you may not even realize you have!
You can research various studies across the web that show how the overall physical and health benefits of gardening. I encourage this because it is very enlightening. Crazy as it seems, gardening even helps you to burn calories.

Gardening can simulate the effects of antidepressants

Did you know gardening helps increase the release of serotonin? This is why I started gardening, myself. Increased serotonin helps to combat the effects of depression. While I still had my moments of doom and gloom, sometimes simply getting in the garden who help me feel better. There’s just something about about playing in dirt that is very satisfying to mention it is very soothing and calming.

Gardening is a highly-effective stress relief tool

The calming effects of both being outside, among nature, and working with our hands are well-documented. Gardening hits both of these. As a stress-reliever, working in a garden has been shown to work wonders, as compared to other forms of relaxation. One recent study pit gardening against reading and found that gardening was the much better stress-reducer.
Gardening hits all of the health points – it’s physically demanding, helps to relieve stress, and gives your brain a boost. Being so close to natural life is also a spiritual experience for many. If you’re looking for a healthy hobby to help you improve your overall wellness, it’s really hard to beat gardening. If if you have a window box with a few basil or rosemary plants in it. These too can help you with your health even though they take less time to maintain.

So the next time you are bored or even feeling a little blue, remember the benefits of gardening. If you aren’t familiar with where to start, do a little online research to find what tools you will need, what plants grow best for the season you are in, and when the best time to start planting is. Starting out small and working just a little at time, will help as well. Increasing over time is the best way to get the full benefits that gardening has to offer. Oh, and Bengay will work wonders for those overworked muscles.

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Finn Anderson

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