Gardening is one of my favorite pastimes. I don’t know that it rises to a true hobby in my life, but I definitely am craving some dirt under my fingernails as spring rolls around! Gardening has been highlighted in several studies as a hobby that provides exceptional wellness benefits. As we are all looking for more wellness in our life, let’s learn about the 11 wellness benefits of gardening as a hobby.
Gardening as a hobby
Gardening can look different for everyone. Having some herbs in a planter on your windowsill is gardening. A few big pots of tomatoes on your balcony is also gardening. Having 2 acres planted with everything imaginable is definitely gardening! If you are new to growing plants, start small and give yourself some grace with getting started.
Having a garden or a few plants may look like fun and games, but sometimes it doesn’t go as easily as you may think. Prepare yourself for the fact that some things are going to die or not work out. That’s ok! Learn from it, see if you can prevent it in the future, and get back to growing!
The purpose of having a hobby is to do something that is enjoyable for you. Don’t force yourself into gardening. If you enjoy it, then great! Embrace that and include more of it in your life. If you don’t enjoy it, or only enjoy it in limited doses, that works too. Do what feels good to you and don’t force it.
11 Wellness Benefits of Gardening as a Hobby.
Physical activity
Gardening is a great way to add some physical activity to your daily life. Planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting all will involve some physical activity. You can expect to see your overall physical activity increase and have more lifting, bending, and walking in your daily activity. Use careful judgment when it comes to lifting heavy items like bags of soil, heavy planters, or large amounts of water so you don’t injure yourself.
Problem-solving skills
Gardening sounds simple, put plants in the ground, wait a bit, and harvest the veggies from them. Piece of cake! Well, ask anyone who has done some gardening and there are worries, pitfalls, and danger lingering around every corner! Figuring out how to deal with these issues that pop up, solve problems, and troubleshoot your growing strategy takes some skills that you will develop. Learn to do research online, seek out people in your area who know more than you, and get used to learning more!
Sunshine
Many people in the US, especially those who spend much of their time indoors are deficient in vitamin D. The best source of vitamin D is sunshine. Gardening is perfect for getting a few minutes of daily sun. Many daily garden tasks don’t take long, a few minutes to water your plants, pull a couple of weeds, and pick anything that is ripe is the perfect way to get some vitamin D without exposing yourself to excessive amounts of UV rays in a single day. Ensuring you are getting a few minutes of sunshine and fresh air is great for your mental health as well. So embrace the sunshine in your garden knowing it is doing great things for your body!
Healthy food
Gardening has so many wellness benefits, but don’t forget that the main purpose of gardening is to grow healthy food for you to eat. You can control what goes into the food you are growing, and choose to grow the foods you love, so make sure you are incorporating them into your meal planning. Adding in more nutritionally dense foods to your diet is always a great wellness plan!
Creativity
Gardening involves a lot of creativity. You need to pick what to grow and what plants work well together and what should be separate. Make sure they all fit into the available growing space (this is always my problem!), and have traits that fit your growing location and climate. There are many details that you need to look at as you learn to garden, and it will require some creative thinking and learning from you. Creativity helps to keep your brain young as you age and is a great wellness benefit!
Decrease the risk of dementia as you age
There have been studies done that show spending time in the garden can help reduce your risk of developing dementia as you age. I know many of my readers are in their 20’s and 30’s, so dementia is not a concern currently (thankfully!). But, developing this gardening skill and habit in your younger years, it is easier to continue that habit of regular gardening as you age.
A sense of pride and accomplishment
The first time you eat a meal with the vegetables you grew yourself will give you a feeling of accomplishment like no other! Knowing that your daily efforts to nurture and grow your garden into mature plants that produce food to eat give you a sense of pride and accomplishment that you can carry into other areas of your life.
Boosts your mood and can be stress-reducing
Yes, gardening can be stress-inducing when things just keep going wrong! But, most of the time, gardening can be a relaxing and mood-boosting activity. I find this to be so true in my life. Taking five minutes in the early morning to water my small raised beds is often the most calming part of my day. A few minutes of fresh chilled air on my face, birds chirping around me, and I feel in tune with the earth. Those moments of calm are great at grounding me before I head into the workday filled with phone calls, emails, and demands.
Foster a sense of community
Historically, gardening is a community activity. From sharing your harvest with neighbors to talking about planting strategy over the fence, people love gardens! And they love to offer advice about gardens! Most communities have a farmers market where you can meet with like-minded people who know about gardening and are happy to answer questions and offer advice. Many state universities also will have master gardener programs that offer insights into growing in your local area. Search Google for Master Gardener in your area to connect.
Fight depression
It is scientifically proven that gardening can increase serotonin and fight depression. How cool is that! According to studies, inhaling some of the bacteria living in the soil increases serotonin and reduces anxiety in humans. What an amazing benefit you can get from simply breathing while digging in the dirt!
Strength training
Bags of soil, fertilizer, and compost are heavy! And they get really heavy when you have to pick up and move 10 or more bags! All of the repetition is just as good for you as weight lifting in a gym. So make a point to lift with your legs and watch your muscles grow!
There you have it! 11 great wellness benefits of gardening as a hobby. If you are looking to start a garden, check out these money-saving tips on how to start a garden without busting your budget!
Which benefit stood out to you? If you are a gardener, I would love to hear what your favorite parts of gardening are over on Instagram or in the comments below!
Pin Me!
Great article.