Although most gardeners have long known it, the science confirms it – gardening is good for your health!

And so with scientific data on our side, the time has come to reveal what an hour or two or a whole afternoon does to your health – physical and emotional.

Small world sensory play

So, what’s number one on the list?

#1 Gardening reduces stress and anxiety
It’s probably a combination of fresh air, enjoying the sun when it shines and also caring for tender plants and shrubs that make gardening such a great antidote to modern life.

Stressful jobs, full social lives and everything we have to deal with can lead to blood pressure rising and a state of stress settling in. Whilst a little stress may be a good thing, too much has a negative impact on the body, both our physical and mental health.

Depression is also an ailment that society is no longer treating as taboo, and studies have shown that gardening can be part of the solution to managing depression.

The solution is clear for all to see – spending a little time in the garden, either weeding, planting new plants or simply mowing the lawn will help to lower stress and anxiety levels.

#2 Decreases risk of diabetes and heart disease
Who’d have thought it?! Spending time in the garden being active is part of the solution to keeping heart attacks and diabetes at bay.

Of course, keen gardeners have known for some time that gardening can be heavy work. Just think of all the weight you sometimes shift about, the digging and forking over the allotment, the hoeing, the plants and the weeding. Even a brisk mow of the lawn can work up a sweat once a week.

Keeping your cardiac system in great shape and your weight in check is done by a variety of means but the best exercise is one that leaves you slightly out of breath and raises your pulse rate a little – and heaving heavy sacks of compost, mowing the lawn, cutting the hedges and so on can all do that!

Of course, this point also ties in with the previous point of lowering stress and anxiety too, a common cause of heart attacks.

#3 Makes you happy!
There is increasing evidence that the amount of time spent outside directly correlates with several health and behavioural problems.

This is why many specialist schools and educational settings that deal with emotional and behavioural difficulties in children are spending more time out of the classroom, and enjoying settings such as Forest Schools and the like.

Of course, it is not the only answer to dealing with behavioural difficulties, depression and feeling fed up but it goes a long way to lift your mood and spirits.

This doesn’t mean you have to work when you are in the garden, either. Why not take half an hour to sit, listen to the sounds of nature around you, the birds sing, admire the flowers, the buzzing bees and other insects that you probably haven’t noticed until now?

You could invest in rattan garden furniture, sit back and spend some time in your own green space, no matter how big or small it is, and disconnect from your busy life. Try it for half an hour and see what it feels like.

#4 A tool to stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s?
It has been noted that Alzheimer’s and dementia are the two biggest health issues that will impact on our nation in the coming years. Slowly, the science and medical world are peeling back the layers of these people-robbing illnesses, extending our understanding of both issues as well as being one way in which we could possibly stave off Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that various physical activities cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s in half – and one of the activities that was recognised was gardening.
For those suffering from dementia, it has been found that garden-centred therapy is one of the most powerful in reaching and connecting with people.

#5 It helps you sleep better
And finally, maybe it is something to do with all the activity, the fresh air and the mental stimulation of being immersed in nature, but being proactive in your garden helps you sleep better.
Gardening is not just about pretty flowers and tasty vegetables. It is an opportunity to enjoy being outdoors, switching off from modern life and enjoying everything that nature has to offer.

Along with their customers, Rattan Direct have long known that the garden has magical powers to relax and de-stress the human mind, body and soul. And now the science concurs.

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