There are endless reasons for gardening to often lead the list of favorite hobbies. One of the main reasons is relaxation, since spending time a day on this activity reduces stress, in addition to harvesting your own harvest.
For years, gardens have been considered as quiet places, where people reflect. Using gardening as a therapy is called “Horticultural Therapy,” and is becoming more and more relevant in society.
What is this therapy about? In horticultural therapy, plants and the natural world are used to improve the social, spiritual, physical and emotional well-being of the people who participate in it. It is useful and rewarding, in addition to having more health benefits.
- Improves life satisfaction: Improves levels of optimism, strength and more enthusiasm for life.
- It decreases the risk of osteoporosis: It helps with weight loss and improves physical health and can decrease the risk of osteoporosis. According to a study conducted by the University of Arkansas. Removing weeds or carrying a bit of weight as fertilizers.
- Reduces the risk of diabetes: One of the solutions to prevent and deal with diabetes is to exercise. In the case of active gardeners exercise 150 minutes a week. So with the time they spend gardening they exercise enough to keep fit. On the other hand, if in the garden we grow products that are then used for food, they will eat healthy and healthy food that will allow health care and diabetes control.
- Improves brain health: With gardening people who have dementia and anxiety, calm agitation, improve sleep pattern and the quality of their rest.
- It relieves tension and stress and helps fight depression: When gardening, cortisol levels, the stress hormone, decrease significantly and tend to have a better mood. The view of the garden, the smells that are perceived and the sounds that are heard encourage relaxation. So it is a good tool to relax and improve mood.
- Better nutrition: Gardeners and their relatives eat more healthy and nutritious fruit and vegetables for health.
Knowing now the benefits that gardening has on health, space and lack of experience are excuse. I could start with a few houseplants or installing a patio.