Gardening Can Help Improve Your Health

Gardening Can Help Improve Your Health

We all care about our health and wellbeing. We want to stay as fit and healthy as possible. But when we think of activities that help us to achieve this, we tend to think of things that many of us don’t find all too fun. We think of heading to the gym. We think of running on the treadmill, lifting weights, squats, sit-ups and more. But there are plenty of activities out there that are good for your health and wellbeing as well as proving to be a fun hobby. You may be surprised to know that gardening is one of them. Here are just a few ways that gardening can help improve your health.

Burn Calories

When you garden, you burn calories. It’s generally considered a moderate-intensity exercise and it’s thought that one hour’s worth of gardening and light gardening work will burn 330 calories. Activities such as raking leaves, digging up weeds, digging flower beds and more require strength and stamina!

Gardening Can Help Improve Your Health: Get Your Recommended Vitamin D

It’s recommended that we all get vitamin D. Most people get their vitamin D from spending time outdoors. But nowadays, people tend to engage in more indoor activities, such as watching TV, using the laptop and more. By spending time outside gardening on a regular basis, you are much more likely to get your daily recommended dose of vitamin D!

Reduce Your Blood Pressure

Many of us suffer from high blood pressure and there are a number of ways to counteract this. But you may, again, be surprised to know that gardening can help you to reduce your blood pressure. Not only does it provide moderate levels of activity, which help, but engaging with calming gardening like hydroponics can help to reduce stress and blood pressure too!

Gardening Can Help Improve Your Health: Improve Your Grip

If you’re struggling with grip issues, gardening can help! Holding onto tools and completing actions required to trim and prune plants and trees can help to increase your grip and encourage nimbleness of the fingers and hands. This is surprisingly good for your health and wellbeing! Just make sure to always wear good quality gardening gloves to ensure your hands are protected from nettles, stingers and other potentially harmful plants.

Growing Your Own Food Can Be Healthier

When you garden, you can grow almost any plant-based matter. Sure, most people opt for flowers and other beautiful plants. But you could grow your own fruit and vegetables too! Growing your own produce can provide you with a healthy influx of food that is free of additives, preservatives and even pesticides. Using them to make meals incorporating your own fruit and vegetables can encourage you to manage a healthier diet full of all of your necessary vitamins and minerals.

Gardening Can Help Improve Your Health – In Summary

While gardening might not be a sport, it can help with your health, fitness and wellbeing. So, why not incorporate it into your routine? Getting green fingered really can make all the difference!

Lifestyle Changes That Improve Skin Health

Lifestyle Changes That Improve Skin Health

As you get older, you will start to notice the signs of ageing and even though you can’t stay young forever, there are things that you can do to keep your skin looking young and healthy. There are plenty of great skin products out there that can help to manage the signs of ageing, but the most important thing is to change your lifestyle so you can reduce lines and wrinkles in the first place. These are some of the best lifestyle changes that improve skin health. 

Lifestyle Changes That Improve Skin Health: Sun Protection 

Sun protection is the most important thing if you want to protect your skin because sun damage will speed up the ageing process in a big way. Most of us are pretty good with wearing sunscreen when we’re on holiday or if it’s a particularly hot day here at home, but your skin still gets damaged by the sun even when it isn’t that hot. As well as your normal sunscreen, you should look for makeup and skin products that provide SPF protection as well. There are some great sites, like Colorscience, where you can get mineral foundation that provides SPF protection, so you can look great and protect your skin from the sun at the same time. You should also use a moisturiser that has SPF protection built-in as well, so you are always protected. 

Eat A Healthy Diet 

Your diet has a big impact on skin health, so you should be careful about what you eat and drink. High sugar intake has been linked to an increase in spots, for example, so make sure to cut back on sweets and fizzy drinks. Eating lots of nuts and fish can also help to clean out some of the oils from your skin and prevent breakouts as well. Hydration is also so important because, if you don’t drink enough water, your skin will dry out and cause premature ageing. If you start eating better, you should notice a big difference to your skin. 

Lifestyle Changes That Improve Skin Health: Reduce Stress

It’s no secret that stress is bad for you, but did you know that it could be damaging your skin? When you are stressed out, your body produces more hormones that cause oiliness in the skin, leading to more breakouts. Your body is also less effective at fighting bacteria when you are stressed, so you are more likely to get spots. 

Speak With Your Doctor 

In some cases, your skin issues may be caused by some kind of skin condition, so it’s important that you speak with your doctor if you think that there is a problem. A little bit of dry skin is normal, but if you have very dry, cracked skin, that could be a sign that you have eczema, for example. Lots of redness can be caused by rosacea, a very common skin condition that causes inflammation. The good news is, most skin conditions can be treated, so make sure to take your doctor’s advice. 

 

These lifestyle changes will be far more effective than any skin products that you can buy if you want to improve your skin health.