Gardening is a low-cost hobby that yields fantastic results. Not only is it a form of physical activity because it burns 200-400 calories per hour while weeding and planting, but it’s also a great way to keep family food costs low while still enjoying locally-grown, organic produce of all types. You don’t even need ample space to garden in as container gardens are very popular with apartment dwellers and people living in major cities with very little yard to work with.
If you’re still not sure if you should start a garden or not, the following seven reasons will convince you to. Each benefits you physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, creatively, and financially. Learn how keeping a garden provides you with a steady source of physical activity, organic produce to eat, cost-savings to your grocery bill, stress and depression relief, cleaner air to breathe, food security, and fewer CO2 emissions.
Keeping a garden is not just good for your health but for the health of the planet, too! By the time you’re done reading this guide, you’ll know the importance of gardening inside and out. You’ll see it as more than just a way to spend your time but something that strengthens your mind and body while contributing to the level of contentedness inside your soul.
Why Is Keeping a Garden Good Exercise?
The health benefits of gardening are compelling enough for you to explore. First and foremost, it provides you with a great deal of regular exercise. When you’re starting keeping a garden, you’re preparing the soil for planting. You’re raking, shoveling, hoeing, and weeding in an attempt to get ready for the growing season. These actions help you burn off excess calories to the tune of up to 400 in a given hour.
Grow Organic Vegetables to Eat
Gardening and health go hand-in-hand. You’re able to control how you cultivate your crops. You don’t need to use nasty pesticides and fertilizers because you can opt to use organic gardening methods and keep toxic substances off your food and out of your body. The health benefits of gardening are not only contained in the physical activity required of you to grow a garden but in every nutritious vegetable or herb that you produce and consume.
Stress and Depression Relief
Gardening and health have a lot to do with overcoming stress and depression. It gives you a sense of purpose, which helps your mental state of mind. You’re also outdoors soaking up the sun and producing Vitamin D which is essential for good health. Physical activity helps increase the number of endorphins in your brain which are feel-good chemicals that help control feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Food Security
The importance of gardening in reducing food shortages and increasing food security is imperative especially in areas where there are food deserts. Some cities have limited resources when it comes to fresh produce. You can grow your own and rest peacefully at night, knowing that you and your family will never be without the foods that make you look and feel your very best. It’s one of the many benefits of gardening for your consideration.
Cleaner Air to Breathe
Many varieties of plants clean up pollution because of the oxygen they produce. Learning which vegetation is the most beneficial allows you to include them indoors and outdoors. You’ll be able to breathe easier, knowing that you’re not being exposed to toxic substances 24/7 thanks to the garden you planted.
Reduction of CO2 Production
Transporting food long distances by truck requires a lot of fuel. It also creates CO2 emissions, which negatively affect air quality. If you want to reduce the number of miles your food travels to you, consider growing a garden. You’ll be able to walk outdoors, pluck ripe vegetables off the vine or dig them out of the ground and prepare them for the day’s meals.
Budget-Friendly Produce at Your Fingertips
Another one of the benefits of gardening is how much money you’ll save on your grocery bill. You won’t be forced to pay exorbitant prices for fresh produce. Instead, you’ll be able to grow what you like, pick it while it’s ripe, and eat it while it’s the freshest and most nutrient-dense.
Gardening is Excellent for Your Mind, Body, and Soul
There are many compelling reasons to garden. From providing yourself with a healthy outlet for dealing with stress to improving air quality and increasing food security, you’re sure to have found a reason or two to roll up your sleeves and get busy producing food. Thanks to the seven reasons listed above, you’re able to see the value of keeping a garden as more than just something to pass the time. It could significantly change your life by increasing you and your family’s health as well as freeing up more of your household budget for other things that are important to you.
The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies but never grows to the enduring happiness that the love of gardening gives.
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.
To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul. I truly love this post! Thanks for the amazing ideas.
Thank you for sharing an amazing article. I`m glad to read this.