The Great Benefits of Gardening

Gardening is a hobby and family past time for many of us.  I appreciate the knowledge and expertise of the green-thumb folks, especially since so many attempts of my own have ended up wilted, withered or overrun with weeds!  Despite several of my own failed attempts at flower gardens, it is still a hobby of mine and I can relate to all of the people out there who enjoy reaping the many benefits of gardening.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t start off the list by mentioning the physical benefits of gardening.  Gardening burns approximately 272 calories per hour (the same amount of calories in about one Grande Starbucks caffe latte, ½ of a Big Mac, 3 ½ glasses of wine, one snickers bar, 1.3 cans of Coke, or 9 carrots). You also strengthen nearly all of the muscles of your body with the movements involved in planting, weeding, maintaining, etc.  You are exercising and not even realizing it!  (Just be sure to protect your back by using a gardening bench or by kneeling instead of repeatedly bending over.)

Being outdoors also allows you to soak up vitamin D from the sun’s rays.  Vitamin D is vital to keeping your bones strong and for promoting immune function.  Be sure to protect your skin from burning by applying sun-screen prior to gardening and staying in shady areas whenever possible.  

Improving your home’s landscape also provides the benefit of increasing the value of your home.  The landscapes you create are an artistic expression for you and others to enjoy each and every day.  It provides an instantaneous uplifting feeling that brightens your day and an ongoing feeling of pride in the beauty that you have created.  It assists nature in attracting beautiful insects, like butterflies for pollination, and you get the added pleasure of having them around.  If vegetable gardens are your preference, the bounty of vegetables and herbs are the reward for your taste buds and for your pocketbooks!

If you are unable to garden outdoors, you can always bring the outdoors in to get the benefit of year-round enjoyment.  Houseplants also serve to improve the air quality in your home.  According to Feng Shui, plants connect us to the natural world and increase the flow of positive energy throughout our homes.  With creativity, you can design container garden arrangements, terrariums and indoor herb gardens that require less maintenance and time for upkeep, but still provide many of the same benefits as outdoor gardening.

Thank you to the gardeners out there who make beautiful displays out of their lawns and gardens.  There are many of us quietly admiring all of your hard work, and thus, you are providing us, your neighbors, with some of the benefits, too!

Conshohocken Physical Therapy is not an ordinary Physical Therapy clinic. We believe in changing your life. We are driven by the desire to make a positive impact, both personally and therapeutically, on every person who enters our office.

You will experience pain relief, improved motion and a greater quality of life. Our approach is friendly, evidence-based and innovative and our Doctors of Physical Therapy have the most specialized training in treating your body.

Learn more about Conshohocken Physical Therapy by visiting us online at www.conshypt.com.