Gardening for Well-Being
Dig into the health benefits of gardening.
Planting vegetables can reap delicious harvests for your dining table. But did you know gardening may also do wonders for your well-being?
In a randomized, controlled and observer-blind study published in The Lancet Planetary Health, 291 individuals (mean age 41.5 years; 82% women; 66% non-Hispanic) were assigned to gardening or a waitlist at community gardens in Colorado. Results suggest that increased physical activity per week, higher fiber intake, and decreased stress and anxiety levels are associated with working in gardens compared with not gardening.
Spending more time in the dirt and tending to an edible garden could be another tool available to lower the risk for chronic disease. This study on gardening and well-being offers more evidence in support of community-based solutions, such as gardens, to help promote positive diet and physical activity behavior changes. Besides, “I don’t enjoy those fresh and juicy tomatoes from the garden,” said nobody.
See also: Lessons for Living Longer
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
