Living Flora TM
 

Gardening In Your 30’s and Beyond

We all know the importance of a healthy diet and exercise throughout our lives.  As we get into our 30's and older, it becomes increasingly important to maintain or develop a healthy lifestyle.  Exercise and good nutrition keep our bodies functioning at top levels and help reduce the risk of diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and stroke.

Are you wondering what all of this has to do with gardening?  Gardening is a great way to not only grow healthy foods for your diet, but getting out and working in your garden is great exercise. Gardening can be modified to fit your age, strength and activity level.  You can make gardening a soothing retreat or an energetic full-body workout.

If you've been active and want to add variety to your physical activities, you can make gardening an aerobic workout.  Get your heart rate up with a steady pace of movements throughout your gardening session.  Alternate more strenuous motions like digging, pushing a wheelbarrow and raking with bending and stretching activities like weeding, picking and cultivating.

Everyone can benefit from a thorough warm up.  So before you get into the dirt, do ten minutes of aerobic activity to get the blood flowing.  A brisk walk works, or you can gather all of your tools and supplies from around the garage and yard.  Once you've warmed up a little, it's important to stretch to avoid post-gardening muscles soreness.

If you haven't been active, check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.  You'll want to ease into your gardening sessions, because you will be using a wide range of muscles ' some that you might not even know you had!  So, as we age, why not stay active in the garden and help prevent osteoporosis and other diseases.

And what about eating all of the delicious and fresh produce you've grown in your garden?  The USDA and National Institute of Health guidelines recommend at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Vegetables are rich in nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron, and potassium.  They also contain flavonoids, which act as antioxidants that fight disease and help build our immune systems, all of which become increasingly important as we age.

Gardening also provides important mental health benefits.  Gardeners enjoy fresh air and reconnecting with nature.  Gardening can be a wonderful family activity, providing families with time together and a variety of healthy foods for family meals.  Older adults can benefit from the social aspects of gardening by taking a class, participating in a community garden, or simply connecting with neighbors while working in the garden.

So get out into the garden and stay young.  You'll feel better and get a jump on the kind of healthy lifestyle that benefits all ages.

About the Author:

Gardening can help boost your mood and your health. Gardening is also a great way to lose weight, so get out there and enjoy the outdoors.

Author: Julie

Living Flora TM