6 Health Benefits of Gardening

乔迪·赫尔默(Jodi Helmer)
by乔迪·赫尔默(Jodi Helmer)
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6 Health Benefits of Gardening

Look outside — the begonias are blooming, sunflowers are sprouting and peas are peeking out from beneath the soil. Your efforts in the garden are about more than creating a beautiful landscape or bountiful harvest. All of the seeding, watering, weeding and harvesting also offers important health benefits.

Here are six reasons to train your green thumb:

1. GARDENING CAN BE GREAT EXERCISE

您在花园里工作的汗水是有原因的。平均而言,园艺每小时燃烧250卡路里,类似于游泳圈。修剪树木和灌木需要与以中等速度行走相同的努力。

2.园艺可以提高饮食

研究支持这样的观念:当沙拉的所有成分都在后门外生长时,您一定会吃更多的新鲜农产品。一studyfound that growing a vegetable garden increased consumption of nutrient-dense foods.

“如果您花了时间并养育食物,您将想吃更多的植物食品。”Victoria Shanta Retelny, RDN, a Chicago-based dietitian and author of “Total Body Diet for Dummies.”Planting a seed in nourishing soil, watering it and watching it grow brings a level of satisfaction and wellbeing beyond just going to the market and buying it. Plus, there’s an inherent desire to eat fewer processed foods as you develop a taste for more natural, home-grown foods.”

You don’t need much space to grow a bountiful harvest: Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries and herbs grow well in pots (just be sure they get at least six hours of sun per day).

3. GARDENING REDUCES THE RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE

Growing flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables boosts brain volume, according to 2016researchthat found physical activities like gardening cut the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 50%.

“For those who like to garden, the hobby provides an enjoyable way to get regular physical activity — at least at certain times of the year — and may have other health benefits,” says Dean Hartley, PhD, director of science initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association. “For example, the planning that goes into planting and maintaining a garden is mentally engaging. Consuming the fruits and vegetables you grow is a step toward eating a healthy diet. Doing something you love may also help to ward off depression.”

4. GARDENING PROVIDES A HEALTH BOOST

研究表明,园艺减少心脏病发作和中风风险help maintain a healthy weight. The Centers for Disease Controlcallsgardening “moderate intensity physical activity,” which is linked to lower levels of diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and colon cancer. Include gardening as part of the 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity you should be getting each week.

5. GARDENING BOOSTS YOUR MOOD

Go ahead and get some dirt under your fingernails.Research表明分枝杆菌疫苗或疫苗M. vaccae(土壤中的细菌)激活了良好的激素5-羟色胺。研究员克里斯托弗·洛瑞(Christopher Lowry)博士发现,对细菌的暴露具有抗抑郁作用,改善了应对压力的应对反应和减轻焦虑。

“Municipal water sources are a significant source of mycobacteria, so gardeners likely ‘seed’ the soil with high concentrations of mycobacteria while watering the garden,” explains Lowry, associate professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

6.园艺改善睡眠

您不太可能在夜间醒着,对番茄植物有些烦恼。研究人员at the University of Pennsylvania found that those who engaged in regular exercise, including gardening, were more apt to have healthy sleep habits and better sleep quality.

尽管美丽的花朵,新鲜的水果和蔬菜是维护花园的绝佳动机,但这些额外的健康益处提供了另一个增长的理由!

关于作者

乔迪·赫尔默(Jodi Helmer)
乔迪·赫尔默(Jodi Helmer)

乔迪·赫尔默(Jodi Helmer)writes about health and wellness for publications like WebMD, AARP, Shape,女人的一天, Arthritis Today and Costco Connection among others. She often comes up with the best story ideas while hiking with her rescue dogs. You canread Jodi’s work或在Twitter上关注她@helmerjodi.

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