Gardening is Fantastic Exercise!

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a great Tuesday. I started mine by deciding I was going to spruce up my flower beds. Spring is a beautiful time of year and it usually brings out the urge in me to connect with mother nature. I absolutely love making my yard look nice. Last week I had all the weeds pulled and then completely mulched all the beds. So this week it was time to re-pot, remove and rearrange! It wasn't long before I was completely exhausted from all the lifting and bending I was doing. I must have planted over 10 new items which meant quite a lot of digging in the dirt with a shovel. Gardening is an excellent way to not only get exercise, but to also de-stress. It is a wonderful and natural mood enhancer. I absolutely forget every care in the world when I am focusing on the beauty of the outdoors.

A large number of studies have found improved mental and physical health benefits of gardening that extend far beyond the obvious rewards of exercise and fresh air. Some additional benefits of gardening include improving your outlook on life, reducing your risk of osteoporosis, lowering your risk of diabetes and improving your sleep! I read recently that the health benefits of gardening are so strong that a whole field of medicine was developed called horticultural therapy to help folks with psychiatric problems deal with their conditions. Studies have even shown that people with dementia and anxiety have found that gardening helps calm them which in turn leads to better sleep patterns.

In another study of 3,310 older people researchers from the University of Arkansas found that women involved in yard work and other types of gardening exercises had lower rates of osteoporosis than joggers, swimmers, and women who did aerobics. I found that to be such an interesting fact and it confirms what I already knew----gardening is not only fun, relaxing and therapeutic but it also helps you stay in shape and burn calories! Now....if only it would rain...

Have a wonderful week everyone...and remember to get outdoors and bring beauty into your life by gardening! Healthy Living Over 50 is easy and enjoyable!