Garden Column for the Salisbury Post

Gail Poulton-Master Gardener Class of 2006

September 21, 2006

Do you like to play in the dirt? A lot of us do – gardening is one of America’s favorite leisure-time activities. But those of us who garden know it’s not really leisure. And that’s one reason it’s so good for you. Working in the yard and garden provides plenty of physical exercise that research shows can help prevent high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Activities like pushing a mower, digging, trimming, and raking are the kind of aerobic exercises that help your heart and lungs work better. Gardening is a good way to burn calories, too. Studies show you generally use between 250 and 500 calories an hour, depending on the chore.

Trimming shrubs or trees takes about the same amount of energy as a moderately paced walk. Raking leaves is the equivalent of a leisurely bike ride or doing water aerobics.  Mowing with a push mower or tilling a garden requires about the same amount of exertion as swimming laps.

Gardening is a great way to the different types of exercise you need to stay in shape. Tasks like weeding, planting and pruning require the stretching that increases flexibility. Hauling and spreading mulch or soil, and digging holes for shrubs and trees offer resistance training to build muscles and strengthen bones. Watering by hand provides strength training, too – a watering can filled with a gallon of water equals an 8-pound weight.

Ask people why they enjoy working in the yard and garden, though, and they probably won’t say it’s the exercise. Avid gardeners know that just spending time in the garden makes them feel good. Research backs that up. One study of women recovering from breast-cancer surgery found that walks in the garden helped restore their ability to concentrate and reduced their depression.

Spending time outdoors with nature reduces stress and helps you to slow down and reconnect with the rhythm of life, according to those who use gardening as therapy. Research shows even people with severe mental illness benefit from working on gardening projects.

One reason we find gardening soothing may be that caring for plants satisfies our human instinct to nurture and provide support, researchers say. Plus, we get to reap the rewards in beautiful flowers, and delicious fruits and vegetables.

Gail Poulton is a Master Gardener Volunteer with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu