Become a Gardener and Find Your Zen

Evidence has shown time and time again that exercising your green thumb is good for you. Gardeners live longer, and are far healthier in mind and body than their non-gardening counterparts. Take out your spade and pruning shears and celebrate this National Smile Month with a little tooth-flashing assistance from this uber-beneficial hobby…

Gardening is good!

• It boost helps you stay healthy.
  • Dirt
    Lack of exposure to minerals and microorganisms (good and bad) living in the dirt, particularly in childhood, has been linked with a higher risk of autoimmune disease, allergies, asthma, and eczema.
  • Vegetables
    Gardeners often grow fruits and vegetables, and as a by-product of these efforts – eat them.
  • Vitamin D
    Offered by Mother Nature and naturally produced by your body via sun exposure, Vitamin D offers protection against osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer.
• It burns calories.
  Digging, raking, hauling plants and produce – requires effort – and not the boring 45 minutes on a treadmill kind. According to the CDC, you can burn up to 330 calories in just one hour of light gardening and yard work, comparted to lifting weights for that same amount of time. In additional all that digging, planting and weeding requires strength and stretching techniques that keep you fit and decrease your likelihood for osteoporosis. The NIH (National Institute of Health) recommends gardening 3-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes a day for good health.
• It protects your noodle.
  Some research has suggested a link between gardening and dementia risk. Two studies, which followed 60-70 year olds for up to 16 years, discovered those who gardened regularly had a 36-47% lower risk of dementia than those who did not - even when other health factors were taken into account.
• It relieves stress.
  Stress negatively effects hormones and increases your risk for disease. Balancing those hormones with gardening can have a positive effect on everything from blood pressure and cortisol levels to inflammation. Think less-taxing activities, like reading, offer better stress busting capabilities? Au contraire. A Netherlands study uncovered that those who gardened for 30 minutes exhibited better moods and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who read indoors for the same amount of time.
• It keeps you connected…
  And not via Wi-Fi. Gardening offers long-term positive effects on mood that increase compassion and empathy, helping build better relationships. In addition to connecting you with your loved ones, it also keeps you connected with nature, inspiring feelings of awe, gratitude, and abundance, giving your life new meaning and granting you an all-access backstage pass to “the zone” – that altered state of consciousness experienced by those who practice yoga or meditation.

This National Smile month, boost your health and happiness. Join the ranks of gardeners nationwide. Start building a better landscape – and a better you - with the help of The Grounds Guys® today.

Further Reading:

Keeping Things Green This Summer

Lawn Mowing Tricks No One Ever Told You

Try the Trend: Succulents

Rainwater Harvesting

Wedding Flowers That Make a Statement

10 Most Amazing Backyard Ponds