Children can Reap the Benefits of Gardening for a Healthy Future

Research shows that gardening connects you to the nature and children too can reap the benefits of digging, raking and weeding.

The team studied 17 children as they engaged in 10 gardening tasks: digging, raking, weeding, mulching, hoeing, sowing seeds, harvesting, watering, mixing growing medium and planting transplants.

At Berlin's Fabled Airport, Urban Gardening Takes Off
At legendary Tempelhof Airport, site of the Berlin Airlift and now home to one of Europe's biggest and most unusual urban gardens, it's sunflowers instead of planes

Results showed that the 10 gardening tasks represented moderate- to high-intensity physical activity for the children.

The study was conducted in South Korea in two garden environments - a high tunnel, and an outdoor area.

The children visited the gardens twice, and each child performed five different tasks during each visit.

Study Finds How 'Gardening' by Cells Keeps Our Brains Properly Wired
Developing brain cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired, scientists have discovered.

They were given five minutes to complete each gardening task, and were allowed a five-minute rest between each task.

During the study, the children wore portable telemetric calorimeters and heart rate monitors so that researchers could measure their oxygen uptake, energy expenditure and heart rate.

Gardening Good for Weight Loss
Gardening is good not only for the mind but also for the body, as it can reduce the risk of obesity.

Digging and raking were categorised as "high-intensity" physical activities, while tasks such as weeding, mulching, hoeing, sowing seeds, harvesting, watering and planting transplants were determined to be of "moderate-intensity".

The researchers say that the data can inform future development of garden-based programmes that help engage children in physical activity and promote healthy lifestyles.

Gardening and Housework Reduces Breast Cancer Risk, Research Finds
Doing housework and gardening reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.

The study, conducted by researchers at American Society for Horticultural Science, appeared in the journal HortTechnology.

Source-IANS