Gardening can help improve physical health by increasing muscle and bone strength and coordination, improving our sense of well-being, and increasing blood oxygenation.
Physical Benefits of Gardening
Although the work may be strenuous, growing a garden is great motivation to engage in physical activity. We persist if for no other reason than that we will eat well when the garden is harvested. The fruits and vegetables we nurture, become nurturance for us. Carrying water to the pumpkins is satisfying work when pumpkin pie is the pay-off!
A Variety of Activities For Improved Physical Health
Daily physical activity is a prerequisite for good health. Gardening provides a variety of activities to improve the physical health of the gardener. Working in the garden strengthens muscles, while improving blood flow and oxygenation to all the cells of the body. This improved oxygenation along with the release of endorphins (substances in the body that relieve pain), is responsible for the improved sense of well-being common to all exercise programs, including regular gardening.
Weight Bearing Activities for Strength and Bone Density
Weight bearing activities (like carrying water to plants, pushing a wheelbarrow, or moving large potted plants) not only strengthen the heart and other muscles, but also strengthen our bones, by increasing bone density. This is important for gardeners of all ages, but especially for women in their early twenties (when most bone mass is acquired) and for elderly people who are concerned about osteoporosis (loss of bone density or bone thinning).
Movement for Improved Muscle Coordination
Gardening helps to develop muscle coordination, also. Learning the various skills and use of tools for gardening involves gross motor and fine motor skills that can be transferred to other situations.
While it may appear to the casual observer that a gardener is just digging holes in the garden and pushing dirt around, others may recognize that she is doing work that is beneficial to the maintenance and development of gross and fine motor skills. Digging in the dirt not only strengthens the small muscles in the hands, but as the gardener picks out stones and small sticks, she is working to coordinate finger and thumb movements. As she piles up dirt from a hole she has dug, she is gaining core body strength as she challenges the muscles in her trunk and abdomen with the work of pushing the heavy dirt around.
Even small indoor gardens can provide some physical challenge through tasks like transplanting seedlings, mixing potting soil, or pruning foliage. So whatever size garden you decide to grow, start today and begin reaping the benefits of improved physical health.
