The Health Benefits Of Gardening For Your Mind And Body – News Block

From reducing stress levels to improving heart health and cognitive function, discover ALL the ways gardening heals the mind and body.

It’s that time of year when people spend the most time in their gardens. Gardening can certainly help your landscape look good while also allowing you to grow the produce of your choice. But there are other benefits of gardening, too. It is also good for your physical and mental health!

Gardening offers mental and physical health benefits, some of which include:

1. Lower stress levels

Stress negatively affects every system in your body and can lead to chronic pain, breathing problems, high blood pressure, heart attack, and more. (1) Gardening helps reduce stress levels. For example, in a study involving veterans in substance abuse treatment, those who participated in gardening activities reported feeling “calm,” “serene,” and even “refreshed” both during and after their time in the garden. . (2)

2. Increased self-esteem

While you may not associate gardening with self-esteem, research suggests there’s a connection between the two. (3) Additionally, this benefit can be received from active gardening or simply spending time in a garden (passive gardening).

And the size of the garden doesn’t seem to matter either, as people enjoy higher levels of self-esteem, whether your garden consists of a few potted plants on your apartment balcony, a patio with potting blocks, or a large allotment. of land behind his house.

3. Increased resilience

When you’re resilient, you can better endure and bounce back from tough times. What helps improve your resilience? Gardening.

It is believed to provide this benefit by reducing mental fatigue and helping you better cope with psychological stress, both of which improve your ability to overcome and recover from difficult situations you may face. (4)

4. Improved heart health

Studies have found that just seeing plants can lower your blood pressure and slow your pulse. (5) This is important because the leading cause of death in the US is heart disease. (6) Therefore, finding ways to improve heart health can help reduce this public health problem and potentially help you avoid a heart attack or stroke.

5. Better recovery from surgery

If you are about to have a surgical procedure, research suggests that simply being in a natural setting, such as a garden, can provide several benefits. These include reducing the amount of medication you need to relieve pain while also decreasing anxiety related to the procedure, risk of post-surgical complications, and length of hospital stay. (5)

6. Higher levels of vitamin D

Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, nerves, and muscles. One way to increase your vitamin D levels is to spend time in the sun. (7)

Because spending too much time in the sun can increase your risk of skin cancer, limiting your exposure to 15 minutes or less per day is recommended. If you’re going to be doing yard work for longer, cover up and use sunscreen.

What does gardening do to the brain?

Interestingly, gardening can also improve cognitive functions due to its impact on the brain. One study found that after engaging in gardening activities such as planting, raking, and watering plants, participants had significantly increased brain nerve growth. This can help improve brain function while also improving memory. (8)

If you’ve ever spent time gardening, you may notice that you feel better mentally after participating in this activity. But why is gardening curative?

The answer lies in many of the health benefits associated with this activity, including stress reduction, increased well-being, and higher levels of hope, along with relief from some health symptoms.

In addition, spending time in nature is a good distraction from what is bothering you and at the same time offers psychological comfort. (9)

Is gardening good for the immune system?

Yeah! gardening is excellent for the immune system. Research has found that gardening can reduce inflammatory markers in the blood and decrease oxidative stress. (10) Both of these effects go a long way in boosting immunity. Vitamin D also plays a role in immune system function, so gardening in the sun enhances this effect as well.

If you are looking for a supplement to help increase your vitamin D levels, Natural Wellness brings you Vitamin D3 + K2. Taking vitamin K with vitamin D can help improve the metabolism of bone tissue, which reduces the risk of bone breaks and fractures. (eleven)