Canyon Ranch
Sometimes getting down and dirty can be a great way to stay healthy. Ask any gardener. Muddy shoes, gritty fingernails and sweaty brow are signs of a day well spent. And if that weren't enough - plants, shrubs and flowers will show their appreciation in displays of staggering beauty year after year. Count on it.
In fact, there aren't many hobbies that are so good for you physically and offer so many rewards. Gardening helps you stay in shape, keeps you in touch with the seasons, and gives pleasure to you and everyone who sees your garden.
"It's good for mind, body and spirit," says Eileen Lawlor, behavioral health therapist. "Gardening offers benefits for everyone at every age and fitness level. You're pulling, pushing, lifting, twisting, dragging, bending and actually pitting your body against real weight versus the imaginary weight of the gym. It's actual work rather than make-believe, and you get intense satisfaction from seeing the results of your labor."
Lawlor emphasizes that gardening promotes strength, flexibility, balance and range of motion. A study at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville suggests that women over age 50 who garden at least once weekly have higher bone density that those who swim, jog, walk or do aerobics.
Of course, gardening's rewards extend beyond the physical. Cultivating the land cultivates the mind, promoting cognitive skills in concentration, planning and decision-making. It also sows great benefits spiritually, allowing us to express ourselves and maintain relationships with nature.
"Gardening connects us with the earth, the seasons and the continuum of change. Most of us have the need to feel rooted in our own lives, and the garden gives us something to count on. Even though many things in our lives change, and the garden changes too, it returns each spring with a renewal of life," she says.
Lawlor notes that this soulful connection can open the gate to meditation, which reduces stress and promotes healing. After all, horticulture therapy - the use of plants and planting activities to improve overall health - is documented as an effective form of treatment in hospitals, senior centers, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and correction facilities throughout the country. It not only fosters nurturing attitudes, but encourages responsibility and a sense of worth.
"There is immense satisfaction in gardening. It feeds your body, soul and senses," Lawlor says. Try these tips for meditative gardening:
Establish a ritual: Put gardening on your calendar. Planning an outdoor session at the same time each day can help make gardening a habit. Start small with a minimum of 10 minutes, gradually working into longer sessions. Setting aside specific clothing can also help establish a ritual.
Be prepared before you begin planting. Proper protection from outdoor elements is vital. Use sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and wear a hat, gloves and boots or heavy shoes for protection.
Let your garden take you away.
"Gardening can become a total contemplation, transporting you as meditation does. One of my favorite ways of describing it is 'Time outside of time.' It's physical, sensory and it engages the imagination," Lawlor says.
Allow yourself to become engaged: Take several deep breaths when you enter your garden, release negative thoughts and become truly aware of the colors, scents and sounds around you. Overall, gardening can be an important aspect of a lifestyle dedicated to health and well-being.
