As promised, here ... we’re not just talking about selling or crafts ... we talk about just anything ...
You know, I love the WORDS – Sharing is Caring!
Today, I would like to take a moment to share this great, interesting article from our local magazine.
Fun ways to STAY FIT FOR LIFE. Want to stay healthy for life? The secret is to find something you love to do – and do it regularly. There are some amazing options – Cycling, Dancing, Walking, Swimming, but what I love the most is the last one – Gardening. Yes, I love gardening!
WHAT IT’S GOOD FOR:
Most people don’t look to the garden for a workout, but depending on what you do, raking, mowing and planting can really burn the calories. “It’s like housework – it depends on intensity,” says Martha Lourey-Bird. “Are you pruning the roses. Or shifting dirt with a wheelbarrow, and landscaping? If you do about 45 minutes of raking, digging, sweeping and using a push mower, it is a good cardio workout. You are using lots of muscle groups.”
Even just sitting in a garden will expose you to sunlight, which increases your levels of vitamin D. However, the real benefits of gardening come from the satisfaction of nurturing and watching something grow, as a creative outlet and also as a sensory pleasure ground for sight, smell and touch.
And here’s the UNEXPECTED BENEFITS: Karen De La Motte, a horticultural therapist, says, “Research has shown that just being in nature, in a park or garden, can lower your pulse rate and blood pressure levels. Plants have healing and pain-relieving power, and that’s what we focus on with horticultural therapy.” Karen cites research in hospitals which found that patients with a plant in their room, or a garden view, used less painkillers and were discharged earlier than those who did not. The same positive results were found with depressed patients or those suffering dementia: those with access to gardens required less medication and had increased brain activity and concentration levels. The versatility of gardens also makes them appealing. “You can get really involved in landscaping or just have a few pots on your balcony or around the back door. Even indoor plants can have a positive effects; depending on the colours you use, and things like water features, gardens can be incredibly spiritual. Plants really make you feel that you are part of nature, and that can be nourishing for the soul.”
