Gardening!

Spring is right around the corner and many of you will be getting out to plant new flowers, vegetables, and other plants.

Benefits of gardening

Gardening is one of the best hobbies you can take up. This fantastic low impact activity helps get you out of the house and into the fresh air.

The Blue Zones is a book by Dan Buettner that looked at different areas of the world where people were living to be 100+ years old. From observing these people, he was able to see what these long living people were doing that was similar to each other. Gardening is one of the activities that Dan Buettner observed many of these people doing. He states that “working in a garden requires frequent, low intensity, full-range-of-motion activity. You dig to plant, bend to weed, and carry to harvest. Gardening can relieve stress. And you emerge from the season with fresh vegetables -- a Blue Zones trifecta!” (Buettner, 233)

Protection from the sun

A little bit of sun can be good for you and will boost you vitamin D levels. Too much sun and it can start to have adverse effects. If you don’t have any previous sun related conditions, and want to get some of those health benefits, try this tip. Spend 1-15 minutes out in the sun, then put on sunscreen and a hat for the rest of the day.

Posture

It’s easy to get carried away and spend hours bent over working. Make sure every 10 minutes you are standing and moving around. This will help protect your joints and keep them from getting stiff while you work.

Work Cited

Buettner, Dan. The Blue Zones. Washington, D.C.: National Giographic, 2008. Print.