Spring is finally upon us, and we have had a few days giving us that glimmer of hope that nice sunny weather is on the way. After a very wet winter the lawns are suddenly sprouting, gardens are sparking to life and our fruit trees are blossoming. Our family had a full day outside recently…weeding vegetable gardens, mulching around fruit trees and pruning the hedge. The bee hives were humming with activity and I cracked them open for the first big inspection to start preparing for an explosion of life.
Gardening, landscaping and getting out into nature is ‘good for the soul’ as is said…but there is more to it than just that! Here are 4 of the top health benefits of getting your hands dirty in nature and enjoying your garden.
- Improved mental aptitude and a reduced risk of dementia. For those over 60yrs old a follow-up study of 16 years identified lower rates of dementia in those who participated in regular gardening activities.
- Reduced cortisol and stress. Gardening is long associated with improvements in mood, reduction in stress levels and assisting with hormone regulation. One study has found a link between the healthy bacteria in soils creating an increase in serotonin (one of our happy chemicals!) and a reduction in anxiety.
- Vitamin D!! In New Zealand we are so often worried about slip/slop/slap/wrap, and we forget that the key source of Vitamin D is from the sun. Vitamin D is crucial for a healthy immune system and influences bone density.
- Improved cardiovascular fitness and strength. Gardening and landscaping work can be physical in so many ways. Weeding, digging, pruning, lifting and pushing materials around is all physically demanding work. This can improve cardiovascular fitness (heart and lungs) but also improve physical muscular strength. The muscles of the legs and shoulders certainly benefit from regular gardening and home based landscaping.
For our family and our three sons – being outside in our gardens is also a great learning opportunity. My youngest son at only 4 years old will don his bee suit and come down to the hives, looking enthusiastically for the queen. The older boys are now expert at identifying worker bees from drones (male bees) and which parts of the hives are honey, capped ‘brood’ (developing worker bee larvae) and more. Harvesting the honey each season is a day for the whole family as we uncap, spin and then jar the honey.
Gardening helps our boys to understand the life cycle of the bees, their role with our flowering plants and fruit tree pollination and in turn to develop a healthy appreciation for how beautiful and complex nature is. Gardening, landscaping or getting outside in nature can be for health benefits, learning or simply the joy of a job well done. Whichever it may be for you – get out and enjoy nature on the Hibiscus Coast this spring and summer!
Nb. Written as Health columnist for the Hibiscus Matters.
