G is for Gardening

Simple, Practical, Science-Based Tips for a Long Healthy Life

If you enjoy gardening, like I do, you probably recognize it is a form of exercise, but you might not know that it can improve your heart health. So, G is not only for Gardening but also H for Heart Health.  A new study of over 146,000 adults over the age of 65 found that gardeners had better heart health than non-gardeners, including lower risk for stroke, heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight, and obesity.

I reached out to study author, Dr. Susan Veldheer at Penn State College of Medicine to ask her a few questions about the research.

What is it about gardening that is associated with better cardiovascular health?

“There are probably many things that impact cardiovascular health among gardeners. Some things we saw were that gardeners reported doing a lot of physical activity and they were more likely to report eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. These are two very important lifestyle behaviors that contribute to lower heart disease risk. There is also some new research suggesting that exposure to nature can improve health although that was not something we explored in our study.”

I don’t think too many people think about gardening as a serious form of physical activity…can you elaborate on why gardening is a good form of exercise?

“There are two kinds of physical activity recommended by the US Physical Activity Guidelines: aerobic exercise that gets your heart rate up, and exercises that strengthen your muscles. When you think about gardening in this way, gardening is a catch-all term for many different activities that can increase your heart rate or strengthen your muscles. It includes things such as walking, raking, digging, bending, pushing a wheelbarrow, or weeding.” 

Your research designs and tests interventions related to improving fruit and vegetable intakes. Did you find that older gardeners have a better intake of produce?

“They did! The gardeners were more likely than the people who did not exercise to report eating the recommended servings of 5 fruits and vegetables per day. We don’t know what type of gardens the participants had in our study, but it could be that people who grow fruits and veggies are more likely to eat them. They are probably more likely to have them around the house, which is a good first step!”

What Does It Mean for You?

• Dig in the dirt! Tend your garden or landscape in the knowledge that it is good for your heart. You are not only getting good physical activity, but you are also lowering your risk for cardiovascular disease…. the number 1 cause of death in the U.S.
• Container gardening or raised bed gardening is just as healthful as in-ground gardening. Double the points if you are growing veggies or herbs as both are healthful produce.
• If you can’t have a garden at your house or apartment, check out community gardens. The American Community Garden Association reports that every state has community gardens.
• If you live near a botanical garden, check out volunteer opportunities. Not only will you get physical activity, but you will also learn so much from the other gardeners. I volunteer at the Hart County Botanical Garden and work in the herb garden…I love learning about herbs, being a part of the community, and getting physical activity, too.
• Gardening in the summer heat can lead to dehydration, so check out our last post on H is for Hydration (click here for the post.)

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Next up, a topic that has been in the news the last few weeks…. A is for Artificial Sweeteners. Are they “deadly” and “toxic” as the headlines suggest? We will break it down for you.