6 surprising health benefits of gardening

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6 surprising health benefits of gardening

Sure, tending to plants and flowers brings pleasant fragrances, vibrant colors, and a little buzz for the birds and bees, but the real groundbreaking magic happens beneath the surface. A garden does more than brighten up an outdoor space—it can transform your health in ways you might not expect.

Does gardening count as exercise? Are there any mental health benefits to growing your own plants? Yes to both.

From lowering stress to supporting weight management, gardening offers lots of powerful mind-body benefits. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or still trying to learn how to keep a houseplant alive, all the unexpected health benefits of gardening might just convince you to dig in, Hers says.

What Are the Health Benefits of Gardening?

How does gardening support your health?

Gardening can:

• Support heart health
• Help with weight management
• Encourage healthier eating
• Boost mental health
• Connect you with nature
• Improve your social life

Ready to grab your work gloves? We’re getting into the weeds of all the science-backed ways gardening can enhance overall well-being.

1. Gardening Supports Heart Health

Is gardening good exercise? Absolutely. It’s an excellent form of moderate-intensity exercise, which plays a key role in heart health.

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Gardening can be a surprisingly effective way to meet that goal—particularly for those who need a gentler, low-impact workout.

Some research even suggests that older gardeners tend to have better cardiovascular health than non-exercisers, with a lower risk of heart disease and early death.

Pulling weeds and crouching down to tend to your raised beds can also offer some muscle-building perks. Just be careful about your posture and neck position to avoid back pain or muscle strain.

Beyond physical movement, gardening may also benefit heart health by lowering stress levels. Chronic stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that can raise blood pressure and increase heart disease risk over time.

But spending time in nature can help counteract this effect—more on this soon. One small Japanese study even found that simply looking at plants reduced stress, fear, and muscle tension while lowering blood pressure and heart rate.

2. Gardening Helps Manage Weight

In addition to cardio, the American Heart Association recommends strength training at least two times a week—in part, to help support weight management. As mentioned, not only does gardening count as exercise for cardio, but it also helps build muscle.

Gardening activities like digging, weeding, raking, and shoveling engage your upper body—especially your hands and forearms. Meanwhile, hauling supplies, squatting to tend to plants, and pushing a wheelbarrow activate your legs and core.

In other words, it’s a full-body workout disguised as yard work. For those with obesity or who are overweight, gardening can be an approachable way to ease into physical activity.

What about gardening calories burned? How many calories does yard work burn? It depends on the task at hand. For example, calories burned weeding might be higher than calories burned from something like pruning or washing produce.

Why does building muscle matter for weight management? It supports a healthy metabolism, partly by boosting calorie burn (which is helpful for weight loss) and strengthening joints and bones.

Does muscle weigh more than fat? This isn’t exactly true—what people often mean when they say it is that a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. So, if the gym isn’t your thing, consider swapping dumbbells for a shovel.

3. Gardening Encourages Healthier Eating

When your backyard (or balcony or community) vegetable garden provides ingredients, you might be more likely to cook with them. Which is to say, growing your own fresh produce makes it easier—and more exciting—to eat whole foods that support overall health and weight management.

And research backs this up.

One study found that older adults who gardened ate more fruits and vegetables than those who didn’t. Though the exact reasons aren’t fully understood, it suggests that tending to a garden organically promotes healthier eating habits.

Gardening might also spark culinary creativity, inspiring you to experiment with new ingredients and recipes you might not have tried otherwise.

Bonus: You’ll know exactly where your food comes from and can avoid unwanted pesticides.

4. Gardening Can Boost Mental Health

Spending time in your garden can be a powerful tool for mental well-being. Research has found that sun exposure helps increase vitamin D levels, which can support mood and cognitive function. Just don’t forget to apply sunscreen and wear a hat (even when it’s overcast).

Besides that, gardening is a stellar way to manage stress. The hands-on, repetitive nature of planting, weeding, and pruning can feel meditative and grounding, helping you unplug from daily stressors.

In fact, horticultural therapy is an established practice that uses gardening as a way to support mental health, particularly for older adults or people recovering from an injury.

Plus, having a hobby you genuinely enjoy and seeing plants thrive thanks to your hard work can be incredibly rewarding and even boost confidence and self-esteem.

5. Gardening Connects You With Nature

There’s growing research in a field called green care, which explores how spending time in nature benefits overall health.

One of the most famous studies on this dates back to the 1980s. Researchers found that hospital patients with a view of greenery recovered faster than those staring at a concrete wall. 

It may sound obvious, but it highlights just how deeply nature (or lack thereof) impacts us.

Science aside, you’ve probably heard folks joke about the need to “go touch grass”—a not-so-subtle reminder to step away from screens and social media and reconnect with the real world. Gardening offers a way to do that, encouraging more time outdoors, fresh air, and natural movement.

Studies suggest that spending time in nature can lower cortisol levels (that’s the stress hormone), support immune function, and even improve sleep. Plus, a little extra vitamin D from the sun helps keep bones strong by helping the body absorb calcium.

6. Gardening Can Improve Your Social Life

Gardening doesn’t have to be a solo activity. For busy professionals and older adults alike, social interaction can be hard to come by—and community gardens offer the added bonus of, well … community.

Working alongside others in a shared green space creates low-pressure opportunities to connect, whether you’re swapping gardening tips or just making small talk while pulling weeds.

This kind of social interaction is more than friendly—it’s good for your health. Research suggests the social connections formed in green spaces (like parks and community gardens) are linked to lower levels of loneliness and a stronger sense of support.

And in urban areas, the benefits of community gardens can be vital. They offer much-needed access to greenery while also fostering a sense of belonging.

How to Start Gardening to Reap the Health Benefits

Ready to get those hands dirty? If you’re feeling inspired to grow your own food or join a community garden, here are a few pointers to help you get started:

• Do some research. Look up what plants thrive in your climate and the best times to grow them. Then, dig into what supplies and tools you’ll need to make it happen. A little planning can go a long way.
• Find your people and places. Whether you create your own garden or join a community garden, it can be helpful to find like-minded people who have more experience. Try chatting up a neighbor whose yard you admire, or get online to find other resources and communities.
• Start small. You don’t need to be a master gardener overnight. In fact, most people won’t be. Get started with low-maintenance plants and work your way up to more challenging crops as you gain confidence and experience.

The best way to learn? Just start planting some seeds (well, it takes a little more than that, but you get the idea).

Final Thoughts: The Health Benefits of Gardening

The positive effects of gardening are plentiful. It’s not just about growing plants—it’s about cultivating better health, both physically and mentally.

Here’s what to keep in mind about the health benefits of gardening:

• Gardening gets you moving, which is great for weight management and overall physical health.
• It’s a simple way to connect with nature day-to-day.
• It naturally encourages healthier eating.
• It can bring a sense of accomplishment, plus community and social interaction.
• Of course, there are many other aspects of holistic health, but in the end, gardening might contribute to a better quality of life.

A little time in the dirt can do wonders for your body and mind. If you’ve been thinking about getting into gardening, consider this your sign to start—whether you create a backyard vegetable patch or just keep a few herbs on your windowsill for now.

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.