Now that it has finally stopped raining we can get back in the garden.
Some of you love it and some of you hate it but it is one of the best things you can do for your health.
Several years ago a patient asked me to speak to her garden club. (And if any of you are in a garden club I would LOVE to do a presentation- they are one of my favorite groups). As I began doing research for the talk, I came upon some amazing statistics.
People who garden on a regular basis reduce their risk of dementia by 37% and reduce their risk of a cardiovascular incident by 48%. WOW- there is not much you can do that will give you those benefits.
Why does gardening create these benefits?
There are several reasons:
1st you are moving, being active and using your body and muscles in different ways.
2nd you are in nature.
3rd you are creating something beautiful.
4th you are doing a “mindless” activity.
Gardening is in a sense a moving meditation.
Gardening today is even more important for us than it was 100 years ago. We are spending way too much time on our screens, indoors, not moving and stimulating our brains in damaging ways. So get out in the garden.
Be smart: Start slowly and change activities frequently using different muscle groups.
If you do injure yourself, give us a call. We can correct the problem and show you ways to prevent injuries.
Happy gardening!
