We've heard this before. Gardening is good. but why?
there are many reasons!
After doing a little research, I would like to share some of the reasons why gardening is good and the importance of teaching gardening to our children and grandchildren.
According to the British Medical Journal, gardening can reduce heart attacks and strokes by 30%. Gardening helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, depression and anger, and boosts the immune system.
Weeds and plants can burn 200 to 400 calories per hour; Lawn mowing burns 250-350 calories.
The National Institutes of Health says gardening for 45 minutes a day three to five times a week is the perfect way to avoid the gym.
Gardening releases endorphins, a hormone that makes you feel good and relaxed. Being outdoors improves your mood. Sun exposure helps absorb vitamin D.
Gardening can lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. High levels of cortisol in the brain can affect memory and learning. Gardening releases the same brain-relaxing chemicals that opioids do.
Digging the earth teaches us stamina, perseverance and patience. We also learn about successes and failures.
Some other benefits:
Gardening gives meaning and value. Caring for living beings promotes a sense of responsibility and also reduces boredom. gardening reduces accumulated anger and negative feelings;
l Working in the garden helps you forget about the hardships of life and allows you to focus on the current task so that your thoughts do not wander;
l Improve your sensory system. Smells, colors and textures stimulate the brain.
l Increase the sense of pride in growing your own vegetables, herbs and flowers;
l Gardening can reduce the risk of dementia. Gardening can help you get into the "zone", a magical and spiritual place. A place where you can find out who you are in private. So many life lessons.
For each person, gardening is a personal matter. Each of us does this in our own way. It belongs to you and you are responsible for its content.
Spending time on our balcony is always a special moment for me. I feel like a small part of something big and powerful. I solve some of my best problems and have tough lawnmower conversations. Am I frustrated because I am not doing things as fast or as I want? accent. But I have found that when I get to work and arrive at work, my stress level drops quickly.
In these difficult times, we are all struggling in one way or another. Being able to garden can be very rewarding as we continue to see low temperatures and the need to be outside in warm weather. For the past few cold days, I've been basking in the sun through the glass window and daydreaming about what I'll soon be doing in the garden. Gardening is hope!
Be sure to know your limits as you prepare to work in the yard! I encourage you to try these stretches http://go.osu.edu/gardenstretch.
McKinley is a volunteer horticultural attaché at Ohio State University in Mahoning County.
