If you ask a gardener if their hobby makes them feel better, the answer is sure to be a resounding ‘YES!’ But did you know that there are scientifically proven reasons why gardening is actually good for people? In fact gardening has significant impacts on 
our physical and mental wellbeing. Here are some of them:
- Exercise. The number of calories burned while gardening for 30 minutes is similar to playing volleyball or badminton, or doing yoga.
- Spending time outside is good for mental health, and gardening as a form of exercise releases endorphins, the hormone that makes people feel happy.
- Soil contains microbes that are absorbed through the hands, triggering a release of seratonin in the brain. So getting your fingers in the soil really does make you feel good!
- Growing your own vegetables is a great incentive to eat healthy foods.
- Gardening is a relaxing, spiritual activity that brings you closer to nature, takes your mind off your troubles and enables you to enter an almost meditative state.
- Being out in the sunshine is a great way to get a boost of vital Vitamin D.
In other words, gardening combines the benefits of regular exercise, fresh air, meditation and a healthy diet. In fact the benefits are so well recognized, that horticulture therapy is now used even in some hospitals as a treatment option.
We think it’s a no-brainer! You get a form of exercise that is good for your physical and mental wellbeing, and the end result is a beautiful yard filled with life, colour and soul. What’s not to love?!
