From clover lawns to wildlife habitats, we love to share gardening solutions with our readers. Part of the reason we love gardening is that it’s one of the healthiest hobbies you can pick up. Here’s why gardening is good for you. 

When it comes to your health, gardening has been shown to reduce your risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Doing physical labor outdoors boosts your heart rate and lets you reap all the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. Furthermore, doing tasks with your hands keeps your joints active. Some research has even shown that more time outdoors reduces environmental allergies. Don’t forget that eating organic food grown yourself means the freshest possible ingredients full of nutrients!

In addition to physical health, time outdoors gardening also improves your mental health and fortifies your immune system. Daily contact with nature reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, and producing goods with your own labor can increase feelings of fulfillment and accomplishment. Scientists have even found that inhaling M.vaccae, a bacteria that lives in the soil increases serotonin levels and reduces anxiety. 

Aside from the tangible health benefits, there are many less measurable benefits of gardening. Sharing food or flowers you’ve grown with friends and family promotes a sense of community, while planting native species helps draw beautiful wildlife back to your neighborhood. The environmental benefits, such as fresh food with zero transportation emissions and increased plant cover to absorb carbon, yield long term positive health outcomes and offer a sense of empowerment in the fight to save our planet. 

Like many other outdoor activities, the benefits of gardening are personal and varied. No matter which positive effect you appreciate the most, we can all gain from getting our hands in some soil.