The Wellbeing Benefits Of Gardening

Gardening isn’t just about growing fresh fruit and vegetables and saving some extra money on grocery shopping. 

Gardening is for the mind body and spirit, it can have excellent benefits on your wellbeing, without you even realising. 

Gardening shouldn't be a task or a bore, it is a hobby, a healthy hobby that is relaxing, sociable, peaceful and overall 100% enjoyable. 

The relationship between us an nature is immensely important. Besides the nutritional welfare, the mental and physical health benefits of gardening is astounding. Ultimately gardening can be the key to a better and longer future. 

Physically, gardening promotes regular involvement in exercise, increases levels of physical activity and fitness, thus encouraging a healthy weight management. Thirty minutes in the garden of moderate intensity physical activity is enough for adults, which can aid in the prevention of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. For those with children, it also helps to improve young peoples attitudes to a healthy lifestyle. 

The activity of gardening can also aid in improving ones mental health through social interactions, community cohesion and the antidepressant properties of the bacteria in dirt Mycobacterium Vaccae. This bacteria has been found to help boost the production of serotonin in our bodies, a chemical in our brain which regulates mood. 

Therefore, gardening can reduce stress, agitation and aggressive behaviour as it is said to help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The social activity will also help maintain ones psychological and emotional health through interaction. 

Of course, having a garden of your own promotes an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables and thus a healthier diet.  Adults must eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, therefore engagement in gardening and food growing can help to reach these recommendations. 

Gardening indeed is a healing activity which not only feeds the body, but the mind and spirit too. So get gardening on your balcony or back yard and create a space where you can retire to after a long day to unwind and alleviate any stress.