How Gardening Can Improve Your Health

It's no surprise to most avid gardeners that while we are attending to the health of our plants, we too are improving our health both physically and mentally.

Even the relatively light work of weeding the garden is good exercise and elderly people will find it an excellent opportunity to get outside, breath the fresh air and improve your well-being.

Cottage garden. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we bend down to pull out weeds or pick up plants and pots we are exercising and stretching our muscles and keeping our joints active. This helps to circulate the blood through the body and maintain a healthy heart. It is also good for the mind as gardening can relax the mind and reduce stress.

Working outside in the garden also exposes us to sunlight and that is essential for Vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb calcium, and this is particularly important for women.

Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in the country and also ranks as one of the most popular forms of exercise for many people.

As with any form of exercise, precautions need to be taken. Lifting heavy pots and plants can also do damage to the lower back and knees so we need to be sensible when gardening to ensure we can continue to enjoy this wonderful pastime.

Like the lower back, our knees are susceptible to damage from gardening if we tend to kneel down while working but fortunately there are various gardeners' aids that can be worn or used to help protect our knees. (Check back next week for more on protecting your knees while gardening.)

There are also belts that can be worn to support our back when lifting heavy items in the garden.

If you take a sensible approach to your gardening and don't over extend yourself you can reap the rewards of improved health and happiness while enjoying the fun of creating your own piece of garden paradise!