Working in the garden can get you moving and more physically active than you might realize. Gardening can help you burn your calories on the one hand and uplift your mood on the other. 

Studies have shown that gardening works amazingly well as an exercise to reduce stress, particularly acute stress. Weeding alone can burn a few hundred calories an hour, whereas more strenuous activities can burn up to 600 calories an hour. That can include stretching, bending, digging, and carrying plants. Even watering the whole garden can work a range of muscles and elevate your heart rate slightly while also working to beautify your space and calm your mind. Gardening is an excellent easy exercise because you can do it for either small or long durations. You can start small and for a short duration by planting one tree for the first day or merely removing the weeds from that plant. The calming interaction will help you feel connected with the earth on one hand while also refreshing your spirit.

Simultaneously, spending time outdoors provides increased chances to enjoy the sun’s rays, which fills our bodies with vitamin D. Gardening not only offers physical benefits but can help reduce stress in other ways. It promotes personal creativity regardless of your skill level, which has been a proven stress-buster. Gardening will also increase your mental focus and mindfulness, a popular method of combating stress and anxiety in daily life. As a spiritual exercise, mindfulness is a science designed to prevent our busy brains from overwhelming us and blocking us from enjoying those little moments of calm we all deserve.