Benefits Of Gardening Essay

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The benefits of gardening
There are many different types of hobbies, some for those who enjoy being indoors and some for those who live to be outside. Maybe you thrive on competition or enjoy the comfort of observing, regardless of how you like to spend your free time - no doubt there is something for everyone. For me, I feel that Gardening offers the most rewards and benefits to yourself and others. Regardless of age, gardening is an excellent way to reduce stress, boost your mood, increase exercise and improve the environment.
Gardening is a stress buster both mentally and physically. One form of stress, is attention fatigue which can be caused by constantly directing our attention to cell phones, emails and other electronic gadgets. …show more content…

No matter your age, gardening is an excellent way to boost physical activity. Gardening uses all the major muscle groups, the muscles that do most of the calorie burning in the human body. Legs, buttocks, shoulders, stomach, arms, neck, and back all get a workout. Gardening also increases flexibility and strengthens joints. Most gardeners have experienced the burning sensation of overworked legs and arms, but what we haven't known until recently is how much, how often, and at what intensity we should garden to get health benefits. Recent research indicates that 30 minutes daily of moderate exercise such as gardening lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, helps prevent diabetes and heart disease, and prevents or slows osteoporosis. Just sixty minutes of gardening can burn 272-544 calories depending on the size of the person. Generally, a person who weighs more will burn more calories than the amount shown here. To make the most of a gardening workout, think of the garden as an outside gym. Do a full range of activities, incorporating endurance, flexibility, dexterity, and strength. Alternate light and heavy activities such as digging, pruning, planting, and watering. Switch hands and change stance to use muscles on both sides of the body. Use manual instead electric …show more content…

Since organic gardeners use no chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, none of these chemicals can run off and find their way into the water supply. Another benefit of this lack of chemical run-off is that small animals, birds, and beneficial insects are not harmed by chemical use. Because organic gardeners are continually building up their soil with organic matter, there is less erosion of topsoil leading to general erosion, which can impact an entire area. By putting organic waste into compost, we are helping relieve landfills since the waste would otherwise be taking up space

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