When you retire or even just slow down enough in life, there comes a time when the habits you embed into your life need to cut the number of bases. Gardening is one of those things that’s stereotypical of those people in the midst stage of their lives, but is it actually something we’re all meant to be doing?
This act of turning soil, tending to small green shoots, and watching life unfold seems to restore something deep within us, but actually, it’s more than just poetry. It’s a combination of psychology, biology, and neuroscience converging. Gardening may very well be the foreground wellness routine we’ve been looking for all along.
In a world where urban life, digital overload, and social disconnection make so many of us feel drained, the garden is a rest in so many different ways. So, let’s show you how this age-old pastime can nurture the mind, body, and spirit:
It Builds Physical Strength
At first glance, gardening doesn’t look like the equivalent of a gym workout, but studies have shown that just 30 to 45 minutes of moderate gardening can burn around 200 to 300 calories, which is comparable to light cycling or brisk walking. If you wield a weed wacker or another garden tool to dig, prune, and lift soil, you are getting natural resistance training that engages the core, legs, and arms. According to the American Journal of Public Health, regular gardeners actually have a 14% lower body mass index than those who don’t garden. It’s particularly beneficial for older adults because bending, stretching, and carrying promote flexibility and balance while also preventing falls, which is the biggest killer of those entering their twilight years, as well as strengthening joints naturally.
Additionally, navigating the uneven terrain of a garden fosters better stability and real-world muscular coordination. Engaging in physical activity that feels purposeful is actually far more sustainable than spending hours on a treadmill!
Boosting Mood and Immunity Through Microbes
Soil provides that earthy smell when it’s damp, which comes from a microbe called Mycobacterium vaccae that actually stimulates serotonin production in the brain, commonly known as the happy chemical.
Exposure to healthy soil microbes can act as a natural antidepressant, reducing anxiety and improving mood. With so much more focus on gut bacteria now and their effects on our mood and immune system, interacting with soil is going to strengthen so much more about ourselves.
We also need to think about how the modern world, which is almost overly sanitized, is contributing to rising allergies and autoimmune diseases. There’s a lot more talk about ensuring children have the opportunity to get dirty, and pet owners have a natural immunity. Therefore, gardening reintroduces beneficial bacteria to our systems that many of us may have very well lost. So what does this mean? It teaches our immune responses to be more resilient.
Getting your hands dirty can actually make for a happy mind and a stronger body!
Reducing Stress and Lowering Blood Pressure
Spending just 20 minutes outside can significantly lower the stress hormone cortisol. If your friends talk about grounding, in other words, the physical act of connecting with nature involving direct skin contact with the Earth, it may be something you want to try yourself.
A study conducted by the University of Florida showed that participants who engaged in 30 minutes of outdoor horticultural therapy twice a week reported a massive 25% decrease in their self-perceived stress levels compared to those who participated in indoor art therapy, who reported an 80% decrease.
What’s more, the scents of basil, lavender, and freshly cut grass influence the brain’s emotional center, which is known as the limbic system, and this can promote relaxation and improve our sleep quality, something that so many of us appear to be lacking in this modern world.
We also need to remember that the rhythms found in the garden can replace our usual stress triggers with something far gentler. For months, the rustling leaves and the subdued sunlight, instead of the glare of our screens, can remind the body how to unwind instinctively.
Cultivating a Garden Also Cultivates Patience and Mindfulness
Gardening is an act of attention when you boil it down to the bare basics. We can’t rush a seed to sprout or a plant to bloom. This natural process of mindfulness, which is again something that we’re lacking, can help us in so many other areas of our lives.
A study in 2021 tracking 120 participants in Korea found that those who gardened weekly reported a 35% improvement in their mindfulness scores and a 28% reduction in depressive symptoms over the course of three months.
Plants and Purpose
Gardening also taps into something spiritual, our desire to nurture, to witness life cycles, and to leave something growing after we’ve long gone.
People who engage in what’s called “generative activities,” which means those that benefit future generations, report higher life satisfaction and lower rates of existential anxiety.
The symbolic act of planting a tree is something profoundly healing, the antithesis to a world where we’re constantly obsessing over instant results.
Is Gardening the All-Round Wellness Routine We’ve Been Looking for All Along?
It seems the evidence points to yes, not just because it’s providing these results, but because it’s something that’s not trendy or new. It’s a slow-burning method that integrates every dimension of well-being that we often try to separate.
Mind, body, and spirit are inherently connected, and in a chaotic world, we can just take some time to step outside, put some gloves on, or start with a simple pot of basil to rebalance the pace of modern life by grounding ourselves.
In a world where we are constantly hunting for a self-care routine that covers a lot of ground and provides instantaneous results, it may not be to do with meditation, a gym membership, or the next wellness trend lurking around the corner that involves us plugging something into our brain, but actually, it could be right outside!
