Gardening is much more than a hobby or fun pastime. In fact, there are many proven benefits of gardening that people enjoy. No matter if you’re a hobby gardener or a professional-level horticulturist, spending time out digging in the dirt and caring for your plants, you too can enjoy these various benefits of gardening.

Benefits of gardening:

A) Boosts mood:

Have you ever tried gardening and felt happy? Most of the people felt the same happiness. When you make time to go and work in your garden, your anxiety levels may decrease and you might start feeling less depressed. Gardening is also a form of exercise that can be good for you as it helps to release endorphins, the hormone that helps to make people feel satisfied and relaxed. Also, direct contact with sunlight can boost your mood.

B) Lowers the stress level:

Gardening is a stress buster that can help to lower your stress. It can help you recuperate and bounce back after a stressful event. Study results suggest the level of cortisol (stress hormone) may reduce through gardening.

C) Helps to encourage mindfulness:

Mindfulness helps to stabilize our mental state and helps to focus on the present moment. To achieve this mindfulness, many people try meditation and yoga. However, gardening is one of the best forms of meditation that will keep you happy. One benefit of gardening is to dedicate your full attention to the task at hand. It makes you get lost in what you are doing and spend hours out in your garden, making sure everything is healthy.

D) Strengthens Bones:

As you age, your bones can get thinner and much more brittle. Your body’s levels of vitamin D start to drop, and this is the main vitamin that supports bone health. Getting outside in the sunshine and working around in your garden exposes you to more vitamin D through the sun’s rays. This vitamin D can help prevent your bones from getting brittle and weak.

E) Helps to burn calories:

Gardening is a form of exercise and this is especially true if you have a large garden. Simple gardening for an hour daily can help to burn up to 330 calories. Gardening can be an ideal workout for someone who prefers low-intensity exercise.

The National Institute of Health recommends 30-45 minutes of gardening three to five times per week.

F) Helps with addiction therapy: 

Many addiction therapy centers are there in greenery. Why so? Plants can provoke positive emotions and feelings in people and that makes plants beneficial. Horticulture therapy is a popular therapy. The aim behind it is to achieve an established rehabilitation environment for addicted people.

G) Helps to control blood sugar level: 

Gardening is a good exercise for diabetic patients as it helps to manage blood sugar levels. Studies show that exercise and diet can dramatically reduce the development of type 2 diabetes in those at risk for the disease.