Rutgers extension services help run a 4-H summer camp at the Montclair Community Farm. Marissa Staffen SPAA’12, 4-H Essex County Agent
If you grow flowers and vegetables, you can get lots of beautiful bouquets yearly. Also, you can have delicious fruits and vegetables on your table. Did you know, though, that gardening can also improve your health? Gardening has eight health benefits that you might not have heard of yet.
Gardening can build self-esteem.
You’re a garden caregiver, even if you don’t think you’re naturally green. After you’ve dug, planted, cared for, and harvested your plants, you might see a different reflection in the mirror. Anyone who can grow things organically is more in touch with the earth.
Besides, it’s always fun to take on new projects. If you can grow an herb garden, you can do whatever you want.
Gardening is good for the heart.
Digging, planting, and pulling weeds can help you burn calories and strengthen your heart. Working with your hands in the garden can be good for your body. Working in the garden is hard work and good for the heart, among other benefits.
Gardening reduces stress.
Gardening can help people with anxiety and depression feel better. It lets you focus on something and direct your thoughts toward a goal or task. This is especially helpful today, with all the illness and talk of death online. It also gives you a chance to see things grow and thrive.
Gardening can make you happy.
When you dig in the ground, having dirt under your nails could make you feel pretty happy. Inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria found in soil, may increase serotonin levels and make you feel less anxious.
Gardening can help improve the hand strength of your child.
When you dig, plant, and pull, you do more than just make plants. Your hands can also get stronger when you garden. It is a great way to keep your fingers and hands as strong as possible so you can use them for as long as possible.
Gardening is great for all the family.
You can do gardening by yourself or with your family and friends. Gardening can be fun and help you feel less stressed. This is a great thing to share with the people you care about.
There are also benefits for kids that come from gardening. Early exposure to dirt has been linked to several health benefits, such as a lower risk of allergies and autoimmune diseases.
Gardening can provide you with an increase in vitamin D.
If you get enough vitamin D, your body will have more calcium, which is good for your bones and immune system. Older people can get enough vitamin D by spending time in the sun. Don’t forget to put sunscreen on.
Growing your own food could make it easier to eat better.
If you have an herb, vegetable, or fruit garden, you can eat fresh food that hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides. If you eat what you’ve grown, it’s as close to farm-to-table as you can get.