Early in the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, as lockdowns put millions out of work and headlines forecast food shortages, anxious Americans picked up their rakes and spades.
Many people were cut off from social gatherings. They were worried about bare shelves and contaminated grocery stores. And they needed something to occupy schoolchildren.
In response, record numbers of people began cultivating coronavirus victory gardens. In a matter of weeks, seeds, seedlings, and fruit trees sold out online and in gardening centers.
As it turns out, the impulse to garden is actually a great idea — whether or not you’re coping with a crisis — because gardening is one of the healthiest hobbies you can develop. Keep reading to learn about the many benefits of gardening, for you and your community.
Outdoor gardening can help your body fight disease
You’re more like a plant than you may realize. Your body is capable of photosynthesis — the process where plants make their own food using sunlight.
Your skin uses sunlight to make one of the nutrients you need: vitamin D. ResearchersTrusted Source estimate that a half hour in the sun can produce between 8,000 and 50,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D in your body, depending on how much your clothes cover and the color of your skin.
Vitamin D is essential for literally hundreds of body functions — strengthening your bones and your immune system are just two of them. StudiesTrusted Source have also shown that being out in the sun can help lower your risk of:
Vegetables are loaded with essentialnutrientsthatpromotebetterhealth, including antioxidants and vitamins.
Adding fresh vegetables to your daily meals is the best way to boost your health, and your love ones' health too.
Children, in particular, will benefit from the health-giving nutrients of fresh vegetables.
AdvantageOfGardening
Workingindirtboostsmood, lowers dementia risk.
Gardening offers opportunities for physical activity and, in the case of community gardens, socializations.
In addition to providing nutritious veggies and fruits for your dinner table and beautiful flowers to decorate it, gardening offers a variety of health benefits.
