adminBEGINNING your home garden is one of the most rewarding things that you can do.
According to studies, caring for plants has a lot of advantages for one’s well-being – the physical exercise when gardening contributes to a healthy weight and blood pressure levels while the interaction with plants improves one’s mood and mental health.
Home gardening is increasingly becoming popular with a lot of people choosing to do it as a hobby. But little do they know that there are many other reasons why home gardening is one of the best activities to do now.
For many, it is a way of going green and healthy and an opportunity to have their own household food production and local food systems that would not cost as much as what you can buy in the grocery stores.
Home gardening often involves vegetable gardening – growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs for personal consumption, as well as creating aesthetics and diversity for bird and insect life with attractive flower beds.
It also requires gardening knowledge, ongoing nurturing of plants, maintenance skills, and consistent improvement.
For some, home gardening is a fun way of getting their hands dirty either by planting fragrant florals or starting a vegetable garden.
Home gardening is beneficial for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the long-term benefits of home gardening.
- Home gardening burns a lot of calories
Did you know that home gardening is considered a moderate-intensity exercise? According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can burn about 330 calories doing one hour of light gardening at home, which is more than walking at a moderate pace for the same period of time.
Gardening can be as good a workout as spending time in the gym.
If you want to improve your fitness without leaving the comfort of your own home, then try gardening. While you are gardening, you will be pushing a wheelbarrow, digging, walking up and down while carrying things, reaching, and cutting – all of these actions are a form of exercise.
- Home gardening can lower your blood pressure
By just doing 30 minutes of moderate-level exercise for a number of days a week can prevent and control high blood pressure.
In fact, The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends gardening for 30-45 minutes as an example of how to hit that recommended amount.
- Spending time outdoors is good for the bones
When you are outdoors and your skin is exposed to the sun, it signals your body to produce vitamin D, which helps in absorbing calcium that is essential for bone formation.
You have to remember though that it is also important to apply sunscreen if you are planning on spending more time in the sun to lower your risk of skin cancer.
- Growing your fruits and vegetables can help you eat healthier
Aside from improving your physical health, gardening also enables you to grow your own food and eating fresh vegetables and fruits.
Imagine the perks of eating your own produce! Gardening helps you develop a good habit of eating enough fruits and vegetables.
- Home gardening can relieve stress
According to a 2017 meta-analysis in Preventive Medicine Reports, gardening is positively correlated with a reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms.
Home gardening is said to help the body relax and reduce the amount of cortisol, thus reducing feelings of stress. In fact, some hospitals even use flowers and plants as part of their rehabilitation for people recovering from injuries, strokes, surgeries, and other health conditions.
These benefits can also extend outside of a healthcare setting especially now that people are so busy and hyper connected with digital media all over the place. Having home gardens and caring for your own plants can serve as your respite from the daily stress of life.
- Home gardening can make you feel happier
Home gardening does not only boost your mood but also improves your quality of life. Plants can help you develop a more positive outlook.
In growing your plants, you give it time and effort and you hope that you will be able to grow something green, something real, and beautiful. This helps you develop a similar outlook in life where you strive hard and become hopeful in achieving your goals and dreams.
Meanwhile, if you are new to gardening, it can be difficult to know where to start. – BRIA Homes.
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