With the arrival of Spring and the days of sub-freezing temperatures (hopefully) behind us, it’s time to polish off those cobwebbed, dirt-encrusted gardening tools from last year and start planting! Not only can your body be rejuvenated as you tend to your garden, but gardening is also a fabulous exercise! In the often sedentary lifestyles of today, gardening is a great way to easily get the exercise your body needs and it even helps you become more self-sufficient while doing so. The average gardener in the United States can grow all of their vegetables for six months of the year, thereby saving money by not having to rely on grocery stores for veggies. The plants you grow can be free of the nasty pesticides and herbicides found on common store bought foods, which means that they tend to taste better! Plus, you can be confident in knowing that you were part of the equation to make it grow.
Gardening outside in the sunshine also gives you the Vitamin D that your body needs in order to absorb calcium from the foods that you eat. Your body can get up to 90% of its daily requirement of Vitamin D just by being outside in the sun! As you age, calcium becomes especially important for your body, because it helps you have stronger bones. So get outside and garden – and when your plants start producing and you have an overabundance of their earthy offerings, invite a neighbor over to your garden and share the wealth!
Did you know that University Village has a garden and orchard onsite?
