A 30-minute gardening session burns the same calories as a game of badminton. My personal experience with gardening has taught me it goes well beyond just growing plants.
.Most people look for complex ways to improve their health when the solution sits right in their backyard.
.This piece will show you how this rewarding hobby can enhance your physical and mental well-being.
.You'll learn seasonal gardening strategies and create your own health-focused garden.
.The knowledge will help you build meaningful connections through community gardening.
1. Seasonal Gardening for Year-Round Wellness
The arrival of winter prompts many of us to store our gardening tools, but I found that there was benefits of gardening we can enjoy throughout the year. Research shows that regular gardening activities deliver health benefits comparable to traditional exercise programs [1]. This makes it an ideal wellness solution for every season.
The physical benefits of gardening are truly remarkable. A 155-pound person can burn 167 calories with just 30 minutes of general gardening, which matches the energy used in water aerobics [2]. These activities can reduce your risk of:
High blood pressure and cholesterol
Type 2 diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Depression and anxiety
Premature death [1]
The sort of thing I love about these therapeutic benefits of gardening is that they aren't limited to warm weather. Indoor gardening can be equally rewarding during cold months.
Studies show that indoor plants help reduce stress levels and boost productivity [3]. People who work with indoor plants experience substantially lower physiological and psychological stress [3].
The mental health benefits of gardening shine especially during winter months. Research indicates that indoor gardening provides excellent benefits especially when you have increased social isolation [4].
These positive effects build up over time - studies show that three months of gardening improves elderly people's eating habits and overall wellness [1].
Your health benefits whether you tend to an outdoor garden in summer or nurture indoor plants during winter. Recent research found that gardeners have better cardiovascular health than non-gardeners [5]. Many centenarians continue this activity well into their 90s and 100s [5].
2. Growing Your Own Health Garden
I've found that creating a healing garden goes beyond just growing plants – it's a way to nurture wellness right in our backyard. My experience shows that medicinal herbs beautify our garden and serve as powerful allies for our health.
Here are some of my favorite healing plants that anyone can grow:
Lavender: Helps with sleep and anxiety
Echinacea: Boosts immune system [6]
Calendula: Perfect for skin health [7]
Lemon Balm: Excellent for stress relief [7]
Peppermint: Helps with digestive issues [7]
The sort of thing I love is how these herbs serve multiple purposes. To cite an instance, Tulsi (Holy Basil) adds beauty to our garden and helps us adapt during stressful times [7].
Our healing garden's design really depends on existing conditions. You should assess your garden's resources, climate, soil quality, and sun exposure first [8].
Different spaces serve various needs – some for relaxation, others to involve active participation – and encourage engagement to maximize the therapeutic benefits of gardening [8].
Organic growing methods are a vital aspect I never compromise on. We ensure our healing plants stay free from harmful chemicals by controlling what goes into our soil [9].
This approach lets us use these herbs confidently for their medicinal properties in teas, tinctures, or topical applications.
Note that while these plants offer wonderful health benefits, you should research each herb really well before medicinal use. Natural doesn't automatically mean safe – some herbs can interact with medications [10].
3. Building Community Through Garden Sharing
Community gardening reaches way beyond the reach and influence of our personal spaces into our communities' heart.
My involvement in community gardens has shown me how these shared spaces build remarkable connections among people from different backgrounds.
Community gardening stands out because it brings people together naturally. Research shows that people who garden in communities report substantially higher levels of well-being compared to home gardeners [11].
This highlights the improved mental health benefits of gardening in shared spaces.
These gardens work as vibrant hubs of cultural exchange and integration. They provide:
Safe spaces for immigrants and refugees to connect with new communities
Opportunities to grow culturally significant foods
Platforms for knowledge sharing and mentorship
Places to build meaningful cross-cultural relationships [12]
The therapeutic benefits of gardening become stronger when people share them. Studies show that community gardens help curb social marginalization and promote resilience through group work [13].
The sort of thing I love is how these spaces promote social resilience during tough times. This became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic when gardens gave people vital social connections while keeping physical distance [14].
These shared gardens meet significant community needs effectively. They help curb food insecurity [15] and create spaces where people develop healthy behaviors.
These practices could reduce health inequities over time [15]. My experience shows how people who tend a shared plot of land create bonds that make entire neighborhoods stronger.
Conclusion
Gardening is a remarkable path to comprehensive wellness that extends way beyond the garden bed. My trip has taught me that this simple activity delivers powerful results for both body and mind.
The benefits range from burning calories and reducing stress to building stronger communities and encouraging cultural connections.
The idea of starting a garden might seem daunting, but the rewards make every effort worthwhile. You'll find that gardening naturally improves your health while connecting you with nature and others.
This happens whether you grow healing herbs in your backyard, tend to indoor plants during winter, or participate in a community garden.
Better health through gardening doesn't depend on seasons or space. A small indoor herb garden, a shared community plot, or a backyard filled with medicinal plants each provides a path to better health.
Scientific research continues to confirm what gardeners have known for generations - this time-tested activity nurtures both body and soul deeply.
References
[1] - https://www.gardentech.com/blog/gardening-and-healthy-living/gardening-for-exercise-and-enjoyment
[2] - https://www.ediblegardens52.com/ediblegardens52/2023/6/20/hwrl4ydef398114ojbkijtwk5y9hkf
[3] - https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-home-guide/benefits-of-indoor-plants
[4] - https://time.com/6258638/indoor-plants-health-benefits/
[5] - https://www.wellandgood.com/gardening-exercise/
[6] - https://homegrown.extension.ncsu.edu/2021/12/18/growing-medicinal-plants-in-the-home-garden/
[7] - https://homesteadingfamily.com/15-medicinal-herbs-to-grow/
[8] - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/gardens-and-health/202310/how-to-optimize-garden-design-for-well-being
[9] - https://sowrightseeds.com/blogs/planters-library/create-a-healing-medicinal-herb-garden?srsltid=AfmBOorcbfZPX7Qx22i709W3wFrDxIM_HRM_bj2pvtFruAw0wrKwW_g8
[10] - https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/04/plants-partners-health
[11] - https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13591-1
[12] - https://www.onenewhumanitycdc.org/blog/the-benefits-of-community-gardens
[13] - https://www.brandonu.ca/research-connection/article/community-gardening-for-social-resilience/
[14] - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204622000676
[15] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7578813/