A very good reason to plant and tend to a garden is to make your own food that goes from the ground to the table. People who garden on a regular basis do it for reasons other than for the food. In addition to producing fruits and vegetables to eat, there are health benefits that come with the act of Gardening. A report by Senior Navigator provided most of the information used in this article.

1. Gets Vitamin D from sunshine

A very effective way to get your daily supply of vitamin D is to stay in the sun or to take pills. Vitamin D helps to increase a person's calcium levels for strong bones.

Exposure to sunlight while gardening is an excellent way to get vitamin D.

2. Decreases risk of dementia

Gardening is known to lower the risk of dementia. A 2006 study found that the activity can lower the risk by 36 to 50 percent. Researchers studied nearly 3,000 adults over 60 for 16 years. They concluded that the participants who were physically active had included gardening in their schedule. They were less likely to have dementia later in their lives.

3. Fights stress

CNN reported that a study was conducted in the Netherlands, and the results showed that gardening helps fight stress.

Those who participated in the study were in a better mood after staying outside and gardening for only 30 minutes at a time. Those who dig in the dirt and pull up weeds are less like to be moody than those who stay indoors and watch television. Levels of stress hormones are usually lower after gardening.

4. Gets exercise

Gardening is a great way to work up a sweat and have fun doing it.

Most gardeners don't think of the activity as a form of aerobic exercise, but it is. Bending down and pulling up weeds is a great workout. Then there is the reaching for and pushing hoes, rakes, shovels and other gardening tools. When you think about it, it is a lot of twisting and turning going on and the garden becomes the gym.

Gardening makes people use muscles their body didn't know they had.

5. Ideal place to meditate

Along with engaging in the physical activity of gardening, a person can also be doing a spiritual activity. The surrounding is ideal for meditating and communing with God. Some people find that gardening and meditation make a good combination.

6. Promotes better sleep

Working in the garden and being physical will cause a person to sleep better at night. The peace experienced while gardening during the day will linger into the night. Gardeners are able to fall asleep quicker and rest until morning.

7. Outlet for creativity

Along with the aforementioned health benefits, gardening is an outlet for creativity. There is more to gardening than just dropping seeds into the ground. The gardener learns to be creative while eliminating boredom.
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