Get Gardening To Grow Some Great Health Benefits

June 15, 2012 - PRLog -- Now is a great time to put your green thumb to work and get active at the same time.  Not only does planting a garden help calm your mind and get your head around nature, it also nurtures the body though physical benefits from the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal sides and healthy eating too.

A recent study conducted by the University of Kansas looked at several key indicators of health for older adults including: bone density, sleep quality, physical fitness, hand strength and psychological well-being.   Within their sample they found that those who gardened on a regular basis tended to score higher than their non-gardening counterparts on many of these key determinants of health.  It turns out that regular maintenance of a garden including weeding and watering can burn up to 200 calories an hour and can be a great way to improve overall muscle tonality.

For people who may be finding they are more prone to injury from higher impact activities such as jogging or running, gardening is another fun and really rewarding way to keep you healthy.
Many people living in urban centres have little to no land of their own where they can get their hands dirty and flowers and veggies growing.  Where having a backyard garden is not practical or possible, there are many community garden programs in cities throughout Canada.  For example, Toronto and Montreal have countless community garden projects, which allow people to own a share of a local garden, reap the benefits of a garden and meet a neighbour or two.  In Toronto the Community Garden Network is a great resource, while Montreal’s city website posts a community gardens program page as a great reference tool.  And there are always friends and family members too – who no doubt – would welcome an additional weed puller, trimmer and harvester.

It’s never too late to start and there’s always space to find so get gardening and start benefiting from an excellent and worthwhile pastime that helps in healthy eating, exercise and ultimately improving and maintaining overall health as you age.  Go out and reap those rewards!