It's bloomin' good for you
As the prospect of spring finally being with us becomes tangible, it arrives with the requisite list of jobs to do before the garden is ready for planting, and it is also a brilliant opportunity to harness the many health benefi ts of gardening.
Being outside as the weather gets fi ner will provide your skin with lots of much-needed vitamin D, to help keep bones and teeth healthy, while providing a rosy complexion and a stronger immune system at the same time. What’s more, gardening in any weather is excellent, low-impact exercise, which can burn up to 500 calories per hour if there are heavy wheelbarrows of mulch or waste matter to be moved.
Mowing the lawn can get your heart racing as fast as a gentle jog; shovelling is excellent resistance training, and even gentler weeding and digging can strengthen joints and increase fl exibility.
Gardening is also good for your mind as well as your body. Fresh air and the satisfaction that comes from improving the environment around us are just two reasons why scientists have found that regular gardeners have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol – and are less likely to be depressed. Some studies suggest that even a few minutes spent pulling up weeds can reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure.
Just make sure to take care of your hands after you’ve fi nished pottering – getting the dirt out from under your nails is a must, and applying lashings of hand cream before you sit down to a post-gardening cup of tea and scones ise an absolute necessity…
Out in the garden? Fiona Hicks picks the best products for keeping gardeners protected – and beautiful...
Being outside as the weather gets fi ner will provide your skin with lots of much-needed vitamin D, to help keep bones and teeth healthy, while providing a rosy complexion and a stronger immune system at the same time. What’s more, gardening in any weather is excellent, low-impact exercise, which can burn up to 500 calories per hour if there are heavy wheelbarrows of mulch or waste matter to be moved.
Mowing the lawn can get your heart racing as fast as a gentle jog; shovelling is excellent resistance training, and even gentler weeding and digging can strengthen joints and increase fl exibility.
Gardening is also good for your mind as well as your body. Fresh air and the satisfaction that comes from improving the environment around us are just two reasons why scientists have found that regular gardeners have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol – and are less likely to be depressed. Some studies suggest that even a few minutes spent pulling up weeds can reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure.
Just make sure to take care of your hands after you’ve fi nished pottering – getting the dirt out from under your nails is a must, and applying lashings of hand cream before you sit down to a post-gardening cup of tea and scones ise an absolute necessity…
Out in the garden? Fiona Hicks picks the best products for keeping gardeners protected – and beautiful...