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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 And while some people just can't bring themselves to climb on a treadmill for an hour, it might help to know that when you "feel the burn" in your garden, you've actually produced something in the end -- besides a toned backside.
Beyond physical exertion, gardening also offers a level of serenity that can help a person's mental health, experts said.
"For a lot of people, it's a very soothing activity," Roth said. "You're out in nature, which is a very soothing location. You can turn on whatever music you want. It's a good way to break away from the daily rigor we all go through."
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Relf said just spending time in your garden can provide health benefits.
She noted a study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City that found that women recovering from breast-cancer surgery discovered that walks in the garden helped restore their ability to concentrate and reduce their depression.
"After a hard, tense day at the office, a slow cruise around the yard will do wonders to restore your perspective," Relf said. "As you discover seedlings emerging, flower buds opening, even the damage of the tomato hornworm, you forget about the day's worries."
And don't underestimate the stress relief that comes from spending time outdoors after driving your desk in an office all day.
There are several theories why time spent gardening is so soothing, Relf said.
It might be that plants provide a simple aesthetic joy, or that people are responding to ingrained psychological and physical cues borne of thousands of years of evolution. It also may be that caring for plants satisfies the human instinct to nurture and provide support, rewarding good gardeners with colorful and fragrant flowers or luscious, ripe fruits and vegetables.
Which leads to the last reason why gardening is such a health activity -- when it's all said and done, you benefit from a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.
"It gives you direct access to healthy food," Roth said. "Whatever you put in there, one way or another, it's going to be good for you."
More information
For more on the health benefits of gardening, visit the University of Illinois (web.extension.uiuc.edu ).
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