Did you know gardening may add years to your life? There may be a tie to long life and gardening – according to an article published on realage.com. The article references a book by Dan Buettner The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. Apparently, people in Okinawa who actively garden have some of the longest lifespans in the world. Food for thought.
Over the years, I’ve read of many benefits to gardening. It would not surprise me if a longer lifespan turns out to be one. Personally, I find my own benefits:
- Relaxing work at the end of the day: gardening connects me to nature and the natural rhythms of life – a great deal of calm in a digital world
- Creating places of beauty restores my soul, and the enjoyment of seeing flowers, trees and open spaces through the windows of my home grants serenity to my spirit
- Hard work means strong muscles. Pulling weeds, digging soil – it all keeps me in shape. Provided, of course, that I don’t pull a muscle!
Of course, cutting flowers to bring inside, and creating meals fresh from my garden’s produce add immeasurably to my enjoyment and quality of life. What about you?