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Get active your way: Gardening |
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Photo courtesy of Feet First | Mowing the lawn, weeding the vegetable beds, harvesting fruits and vegetables, pruning the rose bushes and raking leaves are all great ways to keep physically active, and to improve and maintain your strength and flexibility. Gardening is a popular way to get physical activity in the beautiful Northwest where our moderate climate offers opportunities to be outside all year. In addition to being great physical activity, gardening has other health benefits:
- Stress reduction - Being outside in fresh air and sunlight is good for your mental health.
- Nutrition – Provides an opportunity to learn about and grow healthy food.
- Community – Tasks and projects can be shared with others, as well as provide a variety of volunteer opportunities.
- Cleaner environment - Gardens and green space can provide important habitat for birds, help keep the air clean, and slow the runoff of rain, soil and chemicals into local lakes and streams.
If you don’t have your own garden space, there are many opportunities in King County to exercise your green thumb. Community gardens are a great way to meet your neighbors or grow your own flowers and vegetables. Some gardens have wheelchair-accessible raised beds.
Harvesting fruits and vegetables is another way to get physical activity. Check out local “u-pick” farms and orchards. You can also volunteer time planting trees or pulling weeds in local gardens, parks and wetlands.
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