Living a healthy lifestyle can improve your overall quality of life. Everyone has their idea of what a healthy lifestyle is. But most people would agree that eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and reducing stress are contributing factors. If you’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle with one or more chronic conditions, it can be even more difficult.
Specialist visits, prescription drugs, and therapies can be expensive. What if you could do something fun and mentally rewarding to improve your health and save money? Gardening may be just the thing to help you achieve your health goals. Here are three ways it can meet your needs so you can live well.
Easier Access to Healthy Produce
A garden is a great way to eat healthily without blowing your budget. Fresh leafy greens provide the nutrients your body needs to perform at its best. You can grow your own fruits and vegetables without pesticides and other additives and save money. If you have a large garden where you grow extra produce, you can sell some and make money from your healthy hobby.
You can also grow fresh herbs to season your food without adding much salt. A high sodium diet is linked to serious conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. A diet with lots of homegrown vegetables and herbs can have an alternative effect as it can reduce blood pressure and your risk of having heart disease or a stroke.
You can grow the medicine your body needs right in the backyard. You may have limitations on the types of vegetables you can grow, so be sure to review the growing zones for your area. If you already have one or more chronic conditions, eating a healthier diet can improve your symptoms and may even help reverse the disease. Eating from your garden can give you better outcomes when it comes to your overall health and wellness.
Increase Your Daily Activity
A lot of chronic conditions are related to a sedentary lifestyle. Fortunately, many of these conditions are preventable. One of the easiest ways to prevent chronic disease is to get moving. An active lifestyle is essential to a healthy lifestyle. You don’t have to run a marathon, but you should exercise regularly. There are so many benefits to including adequate exercise in your weekly routine. What is considered adequate?
The federal government recommends adults get two and a half to five hours of moderate exercise each week. This means you should do about 30 minutes of exercise each day for optimal health. You have to be intentional about fitting in physical activity because most people sit for most of their day. But what if you have a hobby that keeps you moving and may even put some sweat on your brow?
Gardening can be just the thing to get you outside and get your heart pumping. You might think gardening is not intense enough to give you the benefits of rigorous exercise. But you don’t have to do intense activities to experience the many benefits that physical activity provides.
In fact, doing small increments of physical activity throughout the day is just as effective as a moderate workout. For example, you could combine 20 minutes of gardening with 10 minutes of vacuuming and reach the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity for the day.
Decrease Stress Levels and Improve Mental Health
Gardens are very peaceful and can help provide a calming atmosphere. It’s no surprise that they can help manage stress. Over the years hospitals, mental health facilities, and prisons have had gardens on their property for therapeutic purposes. Many gardeners report improved mood and a decrease in stress while gardening. Community gardens are also used in neighborhoods to promote healthy social relationships and common interests.
These gardens can also improve the community’s appearance and provide learning and skill-building opportunities for the youth. Children with learning disabilities can benefit from this by increasing physical and mental activity with their peers. In addition, the social interactions associated with a community garden are known to help slow down mental decline.
Some people even use gardening as therapy after going through an illness or traumatic event. If you want to use gardening as a stress reliever, be sure you avoid the hottest time of day so you’re not uncomfortable. You should also wear a hat, gloves, and sunscreen so you can be relaxed and protected while doing your groundskeeping.
Final Thoughts
Gardening can help improve your quality of life. You are responsible for your mental, physical, and emotional health. Finding ways to help you meet your health goals is essential. Gardening is a healthy hobby that improves your health in several ways. It can help you eat a healthy diet full of fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs. A garden can also help you get the exercise you need and decrease stress levels so you can live your best life.
Gardens symbolize peace, healing, and wellness. People with chronic conditions can benefit from the work involved in gardening, and many use it as therapy. Try gardening, and you can literally have medicine in your backyard.
