Gardening Provides Many Health Benefits
Gardening is a great source of exercise, not to mention nutrition, experts say.
You may not be able to tear your boss' hair out - but you can snatch the weeds from your flower beds.
You may not be able to dictate what your office looks like, but you can have flowers and trees in your yard that directly reflect your personality.
You may not have the desire to schlep to your gym's power-lift class - but you can lug bags of soil and push your wheelbarrow around. And then there's the control - all those little plant lives are in your hands.
With warmer weather here, more people are charging into their yards and gardens, or maybe thinking about it. And health experts could not be happier.
There are many benefits - both physical and mental - that come from the range of activities associated with gardening.
The most obvious benefit is exercise, says Dr. Julie Roth of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
And anyone who has planted trees, created a flower bed from bare lawn, or hauled slate to design a walking path will tell you that dominating Mother Nature is hard work.
"It's going to give you a good way to burn calories that's an enjoyable activity for most people," says Dr. Roth. She adds that studies show that working in your yard or garden can burn between 250 calories and 500 calories an hour, depending on your level of activity.
Diane Relf, an expert with Virginia Tech's Department of Horticulture, says trimming shrubs or trees requires about the same amount of exertion as walking at a moderate pace.
Raking the lawn takes as much energy as a leisurely bike ride or water aerobics. And mowing the lawn with a push mower or tilling a garden can equal the exertion you would expend swimming laps, she says.
"Gardening is moderate - and sometimes strenuous - exercise that incorporates many important elements of accepted exercise regimes, such as stretching and stance, repetition, and movement," notes Relf.
"Some gardening even involves resistance principles similar to weight training," she says.
And while some people just cannot bring themselves to climb on a treadmill for an hour, it might help to know that when you "feel the burn" in your garden, you have actually produced something in the end - besides a toned body.
Beyond physical exertion, gardening also offers a level of serenity that can help a person's mental health, say experts.
"For a lot of people, it's a very soothing activity," explains Dr. Roth. "You're out in nature, which is a very soothing location. You can turn on whatever music you want. It's a good way to break away from the daily rigor we all go through."
Relf says just spending time in your garden can provide health benefits.
She notes a study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center that found that women recovering from breast-cancer surgery discovered that walks in the garden helped restore their ability to concentrate and reduce their depression.
"After a hard, tense day at the office, a slow cruise around the yard will do wonders to restore your perspective," says Relf. "As you discover seedlings emerging, flower buds opening, even the damage of the tomato hornworm, you forget about the day's worries."
And do not underestimate the stress relief that comes from spending time outdoors after driving your desk in an office all day.
There are several theories why time spent gardening is so soothing, notes Relf.
It might be that plants provide a simple aesthetic joy, or that people are responding to ingrained psychological and physical cues borne of thousands of years of evolution.
It also may be that caring for plants satisfies the human instinct to nurture and provide support, rewarding good gardeners with colorful and fragrant flowers or luscious, ripe fruits and vegetables.
In addition, gardening is such a healthy activity - you benefit from a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) says to talk with your physician about how much exercise is right for you.
A good goal for many people is to work up to exercising four to six times a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time.
Remember, states AAFP, that exercise has so many benefits that any amount is better than none.
The AAFP says you can sneak exercise into your day: take the stairs instead of the elevator; go for a walk during your coffee break or lunch; walk all or part of the way to work; do housework at a fast pace; and rake leaves or do other yard work.
The physician group says it is important to start by talking with your physician. This is especially important if you have not been active, if you have any health problems, or if you are pregnant or elderly.
Start out slowly. If you have been inactive for years, you cannot run the Boston Marathon after two weeks of training, states the AAFP.
Begin with a 10-minute period of light exercise or a brisk walk every day and gradually increase how hard you exercise and for how long.
Tips that will help you start and stick with an exercise program include:
Choose something you like to do. Make sure it suits you physically, too. For instance, swimming is easier on arthritic joints.
Get a partner. Exercising with someone else can make it more fun.
Vary your routine. You may be less likely to get bored or injured if you change your routine. Walk one day. Bicycle the next. Consider activities like dancing and racquet sports, and even chores like chopping wood.
Choose a comfortable time of day. Do not work out too soon after eating or when it's too hot or cold outside. Wait until later in the day if you're too stiff in the morning.
Do not get discouraged. It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from exercise.
Forget "no pain, no gain." While a little soreness is normal after you first start exercising, pain is not. Stop if you hurt.
Make exercise fun. Read, listen to music, or watch TV while riding a stationary bicycle, for example. Find fun things to do, like taking a walk through the zoo. Go dancing. Learn how to play tennis.
To make exercise a habit, says the AAFP, stick to a regular time every day; sign a contract committing yourself to exercise; put "exercise appointments" on your calendar; keep a daily log or diary of your activities; check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster now than when you began? Or is your heart rate slower now?
AAFP says you should ask your physician to write a prescription for your exercise program, such as what type of exercise to do, how often to exercise and for how long.
Think about joining a health club.
Regular exercise can help you reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, and obesity; keeps joints, tendons, and ligaments flexible so it is easier to move around; reduces some of the effects of aging; contributes to your mental well-being and helps treat depression; helps relieve stress and anxiety; increases your energy and endurance; helps you sleep better; helps you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories).
Always consult your physician for more information.
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