The Benefits of Gardening on Physical and Mental Health
Gardening, in addition to being a pleasant activity practiced outdoors, offers substantial benefits for physical and mental health. At any age, this activity can truly improve your quality of life. Discover here the proven benefits of gardening for your overall well-being.
Gardening strengthens the immune system
Ordinarily, most people fear bacteria, and rightly so. However, regular contact with soil and plants stimulates the immune system, thus increasing resistance to infections.
Studies show, for example, that soil contains beneficial bacteria, such as Mycobacterium vaccae. They strengthen the intestinal flora and prevent inflammatory diseases and anxiety disorders.
In parallel, and we know it well: exposure to the sun promotes the production of vitamin D, essential for bone health and the prevention of depression.
Gardening, a true zen garden for the mind
Gardening is also recognized for its relaxing effects by simply focusing on a task related to nature. This allows you to disconnect from your daily worries but also to release endorphins, called happiness hormones. These reduce the level of cortisol, the stress hormone.
This activity also provides a sense of calm, satisfaction from a job well done, and well-being. Moreover, it helps combat anxiety through a means of emotional expression, like painting or another manual activity, and focusing on the present moment.
Improvement of memory and creativity
Gardening is not just about turning the soil and maintaining it. It involves several cognitive faculties:
- Attention in the gesture itself: plowing, sowing, watering, pruning, etc.
- Planning to make the right choice according to the seasons, on seedlings, pruning, cuttings...
- Problem-solving: how to get rid of pests in an ecological way, which vegetable to grow, etc.
- And learning in general.
In short, it is a way to stimulate the brain, which helps maintain mental capacities and can even delay age-related cognitive decline. Furthermore, gardening promotes each person's creativity, allowing them to carry out personal projects and create a unique and personalized space.
Improvement of physical fitness
Gardening is a moderate physical activity that works all the muscles of the body. By gardening, you burn calories, tone your figure, and strengthen your heart, just like with a classic sport.
Did you know: an hour of mowing your lawn is equivalent to an hour of alpine skiing! This might be a good reason to give up the robot mower? This activity thus helps prevent obesity, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, or osteoporosis. It is also an excellent way to maintain cardiovascular health.
For this, however, be careful not to do the same activity for too long. Start with small actions, like picking or pruning roses, before moving on to more physical activities.
Note: your garden and need fuel for your mower, hedge trimmer, or others? To better preserve your health, pay attention to the fuel used. The purchase price of fuel at a service station is often more attractive but does not prevent the risks of its use on health. It is often advisable to favor fuels adapted to each use, such as ActiSTART Alkylate, more ecological and less loaded with toxic compounds. This fuel contains 10 times less benzene than commercial fuel and is not classified as carcinogenic.
Gardening is good for the body and mind, it is an evidence proven many times. With a large garden, a balcony, or a terrace, you can garden and enjoy yourself while having a real physical activity. Try gardening, and you will adopt it!