Hate the gym? Then Dr Richard Claxton has good news: studies show that being active in your garden offers a host of health benefits. Illustration: Vicki Turner <\/p>
Personally, I\u2019ve never been one for the gym, and the pinnacle of success in sport for me at school was defined by the rare occasions when I was not picked last for any team. No, for me, sport is strictly for watching. Nevertheless, through my medical school and junior doctor years, I realised the benefit
You may also like:<\/strong><\/p> Physical inactivity has a massive price tag for us all. With increasingly sedentary lifestyles, 38 per cent of the world\u2019s population is now defined as overweight or obese, and this is forecast to rise to 51 per cent in ten years. Subsequently, we doctors are seeing greater risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancers and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The current cost to the NHS alone in the UK of Type 2 diabetes is a breathtaking \u00a312 billion every year.<\/p> As well as its relative ubiquitousness, the other beauty of gardening as an aid to physical fitness is that it can be tailored to the individual.<\/p> <\/blockquote> Move it on up<\/strong><\/p> But one possible solution is close at hand: 87 per cent of the population has access to a garden or a green space of their own. Many people are waking up to this possible benefit, and seven million people in the UK started gardening during the first Covid lockdown.<\/p> A Medeconomics survey revealed that 40 per cent of us doctors enjoy gardening \u2013 that\u2019s even more than play golf. And Census data shows that 42 per cent of UK residents of all ages garden as a hobby, spending on average two hours every week working on their garden.<\/p> Gardens could offer a readily accessible solution to many of the health problems we face as individuals, and allow the focus on preventative healthcare at a societal level that has been so badly lacking in recent years.<\/p> A key study in the Netherlands in 2012 compared allotment-holders with their non-gardening neighbours. Once all other possible factors had been adjusted for, the gardeners over 60 years of age had better health outcomes in every single measure, and every aspect of their health.<\/p> Likewise, a 2019 study on 150,000 gardeners across the whole USA showed they had better outcomes in terms of CVD health status, lower odds of diabetes, better mental and physical health status<\/a>, greater fruit and veg intake, and altogether a significantly lower risk of ten-year mortality.<\/p> Feel the burn<\/strong><\/p> Another study on people who joined a community garden in Utah showed that they were significantly less likely to be overweight. A combination of the calories burnt and healthier diets is likely to be responsible here. It\u2019s been estimated by the Center for Disease Control in the USA that an hour of gardening can burn between 250 and 350 calories. This rises in more vigorous activities, and, to my delight, illustrates that three hours in the garden can be equivalent to one in the gym.<\/p> Gardens could offer a readily accessible solution to many of the health problems we face as individuals.<\/p> <\/blockquote> Regular gardening can also significantly improve mobility and flexibility. Gardening tasks often require bending, reaching, and stretching, which can improve balance and co-ordination. A study published by the American Society for Horticultural Science highlighted that gardening activities can improve the range of motion and decrease the stiffness in the joints, making it an excellent exercise for people with arthritis or mobility issues.<\/p> Avoiding falls<\/strong><\/p> Gardening can also help with falls prevention. The UK health think-tank, The King\u2019s Fund, reports that falls cost the NHS more than \u00a32 billion annually, and much, much more when including the costs for social care as well. Gardening helps keep us mobile and balanced, because as we move around from task to task, we\u2019re keeping our muscles and joints active, but also working out our proprioceptive (joint position sense) nerve endings that feed into the balance centres in the brain. In 2012, the US Health and Retirement Study showed that gardeners were more likely to pass gait and balance tests, and that they had a 30 per cent reduction in falls.<\/p> A note of warning though: any discussion around the benefits of gardening and health needs to bear in mind the nearly 13 per cent of the population who have no access to their own green space. This figure is doubled in inner cities, and almost doubled again in Black, Asian or minority ethnic city-dwellers.<\/p> If we\u2019re really going to embrace this movement, as a society, it needs to be embedded as a theme in Tailored fitness<\/strong><\/p> As well as its relative ubiquitousness, the other beauty of gardening as an aid to physical fitness is that it can be tailored to the individual. For those with reduced levels of fitness or mobility, adjustments can be made that enable them to keep gardening. Raised beds<\/a>, lightweight tools, ergonomically designed handles, or even a smaller plot or a balcony, are all ways that we can keep on gardening, irrespective of our circumstances and abilities.<\/p>