The Weekly News

How Gardening Can Improve Your Health
 

Yes, digging in the dirt is actually good for you!

When it comes to warm-weather activities that are good for your health, you probably think of walking, hiking or running. But there’s another beloved pastime that holds a lot of benefits with a bonus to boot: Gardening.

Even if you don’t have the greenest of thumbs, there are many health benefits — both physical and mental — that come with digging into the soil and doing some planting. And that bonus? You get exercise and yield a basket of tomatoes, peppers or any number of other fruits, veggies or decorative plants.

But some fear that gardening could be harmful to your body, like to your spine. But don’t worry. To get the low-down on how gardening does you good and tips to get you started, we spoke to neurosurgeon and spine specialist Deborah Benzil, MD.

How is gardening healthy?
 

The health benefits of gardening cover a wide range, according to Dr. Benzil, and they work in tandem toward one essential goal: preventing osteoporosis.
 

Osteoporosis prevention
 

Osteoporosis is a condition in which your bones weaken, losing mass and strength and putting them at greater risk of fractures. Affecting over 50 million people in the U.S. alone, it’s most prominent in people over 50 years of age, and affects more women than men.

“There’s also a natural softening of our bones as we age that can make them more susceptible to fractures and breaks,” says Dr. Benzil. “While you can get those fractures from a fall, if the softening of the bones gets bad enough you can sustain such fractures, particularly in your spine, from just coughing or bending over.”

A healthy diet combined with other elements can help keep osteoporosis at bay. And gardening checks a lot of those boxes.

Vitamin D
 

“First of all, you get outside,” Dr. Benzil notes. “You get to breathe in that fresh air and you’re exposed to sunlight that stimulates vitamin D.” Getting regular, and safe, exposure to sunlight a few times a week is important in providing your body with the essential vitamin that keeps bone strong and helps your body absorb calcium.

Weight-bearing exercise
 

Everyone knows exercise is good for you, but gardening strikes a perfect balance, particularly for those most at risk for osteoporosis: It not only gives you a workout that can strengthen your bones, but also one that’s easy for people of all ages.

“When you exercise in a pool, you’re getting cardio and muscular work but you don’t get that bone use,” explains Dr. Benzil. “When you’re gardening, you do get that stimulation through weight-bearing exercise like walking and using your gardening tools. You’re using those muscles in a certain way that stimulates both bone and muscle strength.”

It’s the best kind of exercise, she notes, in preventing the softening of bones.

Brain health
 

Dr. Benzil points out that there are many brain health benefits to gardening regularly. While there have been several studies that focus on how gardening is a great therapeutic treatment for people with dementia, there’s also been research that shows gardening is one of many activities that potentially prevents dementia.

Mental health benefits
 

There are also a few mental health benefits to gardening, says Dr. Benzil. Besides the boost to your mood from being outdoors in the fresh air, there’s a sense of satisfaction you get as you see your plantings grow and flourish.

“Gardening allows for a sense of satisfaction and mindfulness because you see the flowers, you smell the fresh garden and you can bring your fresh vegetables in,” she says. “You see the progress and feel that sense of accomplishment.”

It also can provide social interaction with others, whether you’re in your yard or a community garden. “The minute you get out in your yard, you’re likely to see your neighbors or others and have a chance to interact,” she adds.

And, Dr. Benzil reminds us that gardening was a great way to interact during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic when social distancing was key. “People were in their gardens retained socialization, a safe way to talk with others at a time when face-to-face contact was extremely limited.”