National Gardening Exercise Day

National Gardening Exercise Day is celebrated on the 6th of June every year, emphasizing the importance of gardening as a workout option.

Many people enjoy gardening, but did you know that it is also a great way to improve your overall health? Whether it's stretching, strength training, or increasing your stamina, gardening is considered exercise and can benefit not only your physical but also your mental well-being. Time to improve the natural world around you! With these two activities hand-crafted, it's no wonder that gardening exercise has a special anniversary of its own.

History of National Gardening Exercise Day

The history of horticulture is so long and intertwined with agriculture that it can be challenging to know where farming ends and gardening begins. However, it is clear that the first enclosed houses in the forest and wild spaces were created as far back as 10000 BC. Humans have used these areas as a kind of primitive landscape, as well as for food production. It is possible that the first real farms and gardens were established in Mesopotamia.

Gardening flourishes all over the world and almost at the same time! While evidence of ancient rice cultivation is found in China as far back as 7000 BC, maize is found in Central America and so on. Around the world, different flowers produce, and herbs grow and are domesticated, then shared. By 1100 BC, gardens had gone beyond agriculture, being planted in front of temples and around public buildings.

From 100 BC to 100 AD, books on horticulture, agriculture, and botany began to appear. They depict everything from country life and herbal medicines to water works set in gardens. The letters describe beautiful mansion gardens filled with carefully tamed and cultivated plants. 'Scholar garden' and palace garden reflect culture and government as civilizations flourished. The study of botany appeared in the 1600s, followed by botanical gardens.

Over the past century, gardening has gone through more trends than we can count. The 1910s were defined by gardens that won World War I and were influenced by modern art, while the 1920s and 1930s were preoccupied with the emergence of potted plants on the market. The classic American backyard idea of ​​a modest garden and manicured suburban lawn emerged in the 1950s.

Since the environmental awakening in the 1960s, much of horticulture has been dominated by sustainability principles and environmentalism. Many gardeners’ dream of low-maintenance, native plant-filled plots with houseplants like indoor sun-dried cacti. While gardens have certainly changed over the centuries, it's clear that people have always loved their plants!

Benefits of gardening exercise

There are many reasons why exercise is important for both our physical and mental health. From strengthening the immune system to slowing the aging process, from reducing the risk of certain cancers to alleviating stress and anxiety, it's important that we all incorporate some form of Include regular exercise in your daily life.

And what's better than gardening - not only are you improving your health, but also the green spaces around your home! Plus, you can save time doing housework and hitting the gym by combining the two!

Gardening is a great form of exercise because it allows you to combine all three main types: aerobic (commonly referred to as cardio), anaerobic (including endurance and resistance training), and aerobics flexible. For example, an activity like digging will get the blood pumping, strengthen all the muscles, and lengthen a lot of crunches.

Another great advantage of gardening exercise is that it can be adapted to all levels and abilities, from potting and gentle stretching to heavy labor and heavy lifting. This means anyone can be active outdoors and reap the benefits by choosing whichever activity works for them.

The aerobic aspects of gardening can help keep your cardiovascular system in good shape and also improve cognitive function, with various studies demonstrating a link between regular aerobic exercise and neurological benefits such as better memory, behavioral control, and stress management. Anaerobic organs can contribute to things like building muscle and strengthening bones, as well as helping to fight inflammatory diseases. And flexibility can promote mobility, improve posture and help reduce the risk of injury.

Exercise in general has been shown to contribute to our mental health, such as by reducing stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and through its antidepressant effects. Combined with the access to nature provided by gardening, exercise is even more beneficial to our health, with gardening exercise being able to help us relax and create a state of mind.

As with all exercise, just be careful not to overdo it when gardening. Do a few stretches before starting, using safe techniques to lift and avoiding sudden and awkward movements to avoid pulling. Take regular breaks and keep yourself hydrated and full of energy!

Some facts about Gardening

• Plants - they are listening!

Turns out people who sing to their trees aren't crazy because trees can hear you - vibrations can help plants grow.

• Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world

While you may not be gardening redwoods on your balcony, it's still a fun botanical puzzle - these giant trees mostly grow along the California coast.

• Bees are friends in your garden

While we may not feel comfortable with bees buzzing around when we garden, it's important to remember that they actually provide an important service to plant health – pollinators.

• Gardening burns calories!

A gardener who spends 30–45 minutes in the sun tending to their plants has the potential to burn up to 300 calories.

• The garden needs earthworms

These fearsome reptiles help clean the soil in which our crops take root by recycling organic matter into nutrients for the earth.

How to celebrate National Gardening Exercise Day

• Gardening at your own home

Whether it's succulents on the kitchen table or flower boxes on the windowsill, small gardens can exist anywhere in your home! They are beautifying, cleaning the air and adding purpose to many people's lives. While cultivating a fussy herb isn't the same as plowing on the farm, you can still add exercise to your gardening routine.

• Visit the community garden

Depending on your location, community gardens can be unique. If you are lucky enough to participate, use it as much as you can! For an extra workout, take a walk to the community garden if you can.

• Gardening becomes an exercise

Today is the day to get rid of any power tools that make gardening easier. If you don't normally use any movements, try incorporating a few squats or stretches into your gardening regimen! Making it a habit to both garden and exercise will only make you more likely to stick with it. Both your body and your plants will show gratitude to you a lot.

Why we love National Gardening Exercise Day

• It offers several exercises!

If you're not convinced by the fact that there's a whole day of exercise celebration that you can achieve while gardening, we don't know what to tell you. Just think about all the squats you have to do while seeding!

• It's a great reason to get out

We all need vitamin D, but it's easy to stay indoors and watch Netflix. Having some plants to take care of will make it possible for you to get outside and get some sun on your face!

• You will get fresh produce

There is nothing more delicious than a tomato grown by yourself. Knowing there are no chemicals on the fruits, vegetables, seeds and herbs you eat gives one great peace of mind - plus, they're completely free!