The Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Gardening
The weather is warmer, the sun is shining, and birds are singing. Spring is a beautiful time to go outside and plant seeds, till the soil, and get your hands dirty in the garden. And Performance Inspired wants to join you! Whether that’s vegetables, herbs, or flowers, it’s a great time to grab your garden tools and some PI gear and get gardening!
Did you know that working in a garden has many physical and mental health benefits? The time you spend outside can offer benefits you may have never imagined, and we want to share a few.
Gardening helps improve your physical fitness.
When you dig, bend over, plant, and weed, you are burning calories, stretching your muscles, and building endurance.
Gardening helps boost your mood and reduce stress.
Planting and nurturing something beautiful as it grows helps you focus on doing something important and useful. Additionally, many people find the peaceful nature of planting to be relaxing. UC Davis explains that “studies also show that being in nature has a positive effect on our bodies by reducing cortisol levels, muscle tension, and demands on our cardiovascular systems (lowers heart rate and blood pressure).”
Sunlight increases vitamin D levels.
Sunlight helps the body make vitamin D, a vitamin that is needed to strengthen our bones and reduce the risk of fracture. How much sunlight you need depends upon your skin color, your geographic location, and any underlying health conditions, so do some research and take those factors into consideration so you don’t burn. But getting outside in the sun for a little while every day will do wonders for your vitamin D levels and your mood.
Vegetable gardening offers great nutrition.
If you have ever tasted a tomato, a pepper, or a carrot from a backyard garden, you know that homegrown food just tastes better. Plus, it’s fun to have the ability to go outside and pick vegetables to fix with your lunch or dinner. It’s also a great way for parents to encourage kids to eat vegetables. When kids are invested in the backyard garden, they want to taste what they have grown.
Gardening helps sleep.
Have you ever noticed that you sleep better after spending time outside? This is because it helps regulate our circadian rhythms—the “physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle.” SSM Health explains, “Getting out into nature and getting sunlight can help really reset our circadian rhythms for the day which, in fact, can help our overall health, our immune function and also improve our sleep.” So if you have been having trouble sleeping, get outside for some fresh air and some exercise.
Gardening encourages pride in work.
Seeing flowers or vegetables grow offers a sense of accomplishment. Your hard work has paid off, and you can reap the benefits.
Gardening helps teach responsibility and patience.
This is great for parents and children alike. Taking the time to plant seeds, then watering them, making sure weeds don’t choke the growing plants, and watching them grow gives a sense of responsibility for something living and important. And because it often takes several weeks for plants to grow, you learn patience and that good things come to those who wait.
Gardening fosters education.
Even as adults, we should never stop learning, and one of the neat things about gardening is that we have to be aware of how certain plants will grow in which climates. We have to understand the type of soil we’re using and how much sunlight and water they need. And in so doing, we are learning about our beautiful earth and growing our “tool box” of knowledge.
As you’re gardening, wear your favorite PI shirt for maximum comfort and to show off your support to your neighbors. And don’t forget to hydrate! Take along this awesome 77-ounce PI water jug so the sun doesn’t wear you out. It may not feel too warm yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated!
This June, take time to plant something, even if it’s just a small garden. Choose some of your favorite vegetables, flowers, herbs, or shrubs and determine where to plant them. Then enjoy the sun and the warmer weather, nurture your plants, watch them grow, and feel rejuvenated!
