Research has proved, repeatedly, that working your green thumb can be good for your health. Gardeners are healthier, both in body and mind, than non-gardeners. Get out your pruning shears and spade and get started with this extremely beneficial hobby.

Gardening is good!

It helps you become fit and healthy.

• Dirt. Insufficient exposure to microorganisms (good and harmful) living in dirt and minerals, especially in the early years of childhood, has been associated to a higher likelihood of developing an autoimmune disease such as asthma, allergies, and eczema.
  
• Vegetables. Gardeners usually grow fruits and vegetables and, as a result of their efforts, they have something to consume when the time comes.
  
• Vitamin D. It is a gift from Mother Nature and is naturally produced by your body's sunlight exposure. Vitamin D provides protection from heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.

It helps burn calories. The digging, raking, and transporting of plants and other produce requires effort, not the dull 45-minute treadmill type. As per the CDC, it is possible to lose up to 330 calories in just an hour of simple gardening and yard work, in comparison to lifting weights at the same time. Additionally, digging, planting, and weeding require strength and flexibility to help you stay fit and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. It is recommended by the NIH that you tend to your garden 3-5 times per week, for 30 to 45 minutes per day, to maintain good health.

It helps protect your noodle. There is some evidence to suggest that gardening may be linked to the risk of developing dementia. Two studies that followed 60 to 70-year-olds between 16 and 16 years found that those who regularly gardened have 36% to 47% less risk of developing dementia than those who didn't, even when other health-related factors were considered.

It eases stress. Stress has negative effects on hormones and raises the chance of contracting diseases. The balance of hormones by gardening could positively impact every aspect of your blood pressure, from cortisol levels to inflammation. You think that activities that are less taxing, such as reading, have more stress-busting abilities? Au contraire. A Netherlands study revealed that those who tended to their gardens for 30 minutes had more positive moods and lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, as compared to those who read indoors at the same time.

It will keep you in touch but is not connected via Wi-Fi. Gardening has long-lasting positive effects on mood, which improve empathy and compassion, which helps to build better relationships. Along with connecting you to your family and friends, it helps you stay connected to nature, bringing feelings of wonder, gratitude and abundance, giving your existence new meaning and giving you full access into "the zone" - that altered state of mind experienced by those who practice yoga and meditation.