If you spend any time gardening, you probably understand what I mean when I say it feels good — despite the lifting, sweating and straining involved. Yes, exercise is good for our bodies, but there’s something about digging in the dirt while listening to a bird soundtrack that lifts my spirits. Even the scent of the soil and mulch makes me happy.

As it turns out, there are scientific reasons for this.

kAmx? 724E[ E96C6VD 2? 6?E:C6 7:6=5 42==65 9@CE:4F=EFC2= E96C2AJ E92EVD 565:42E65 E@ FD:?8 QA=2?E\32D65 2?5 82C56?\32D65 24E:G:E:6D E@ DFAA@CE A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 :56?E:7:65 EC62E>6?E ?665D[Q 244@C5:?8 E@ z2C6? w2?6J[ 2 9@CE:4F=EFC2= E96C2AJ :?DECF4E@C 2E &r{p tIE6?D:@? 😕 {@?8 q6249[ r2=:7@C?:2]k^Am

kAmQ#6D62C49 DF886DED a_ E@ b_ >:?FE6D W@7 82C56?:?8X 2 76H E:>6D 2 H66< 42? C65F46 DEC6DD 2?5 =:7E >@@5[ H:E9 36?67:ED :?4C62D:?8 E96 >@C6 C68F=2C=J @?6 82C56?D[Q D2JD $2C29 %9@>AD@?[ 2 AC@76DD:@?2==J C68:DE6C65 9@CE:4F=EFC2= E96C2A:DE 😕 q@:D6[ x529@]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mx%V$ }~% y&$% pq~&% qtx}v ~&%s~~#$k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm*6D[ E96 D:>A=6 24E @7 36:?8 😕 ?2EFC6 42? :>AC@G6 >@@5 2?5 C6DE@C6 7@4FD[ %9@>AD@? D2:5[ 3FE QE96 24E:G6 6?8286>6?E @7 ?FCEFC:?8 A=2?ED[ >2<:?8 564:D:@?D 2?5 D66:?8 C6DF=ED @G6C E:>6 255D 2 F?:BF6 =2J6C @7 >62?:?8 2?5 D2E:D724E:@? E92E A2DD:G6 E:>6 @FE5@@CD 5@6D ?@E]Qk^Am

kAmx? 255:E:@?[ D96 D2:5 82C56?:?8 92D 366? D9@H? E@ 62D6 DJ>AE@>D @7 2?I:6EJ 2?5 56AC6DD:@?[ 2?5 7@DE6CD 2 D6?D6 @7 42=>[ AFCA@D6 2?5 244@>A=:D9>6?E]k^Am

kAmp C646?E DEF5J 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r@=@C25@\q@F=56C 324

kAm%96 C6D62C496CD E96C6 AC@G:565 @?6 8C@FA @7 A2CE:4:A2?ED H:E9 2? :?DECF4E:@?2= 82C56?:?8 4=2DD[ D665D[ DE2CE6C A=2?ED 2?5 2 4@>>F?:EJ 82C56?:?8 A=@E] %96J 925 2 D64@?5 8C@FA C67C2:? 7C@> 82C56?:?8 7@C EH@ J62CD]k^Am

kAm%96 82C56?:?8 4@9@CED C6A@CE65 DEC@?86C D@4:2= 4@??64E:@?D[ =@H6C DEC6DD =6G6=D 2?5 23@FE 2 fT :?4C62D6 😕 7:36C :?E2<6[ H9:49 92G6 366? D9@H? E@ C65F46 C:D< 724E@CD 7@C D@>6 A9JD:42= 2?5 >6?E2= :==?6DD6D[ :?4=F5:?8 56AC6DD:@?[ 9:89 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6[ EJA6 a 5:236E6D 2?5 42?46C] %96J 2=D@ C6A@CE65 2 ca\>:?FE6 H66<=J :?4C62D6 😕 A9JD:42= 24E:G:EJ[ H9:49 E96 ?@?\82C56?6CD 5:5 ?@E]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mp |x}su&{[ #t(p#sx}v p}s ‘t#$p%x{t pr%x’x%*k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm!C6G:@FD DEF5:6D 92G6 2CC:G65 2E D:>:=2C 7:?5:?8D] x? a_a_[ 7@C :?DE2?46[ C6D62C496CD 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 tI6E6C 2?5 E96 #@J2= w@CE:4F=EFC2= $@4:6EJ 😕 E96 &]z] 7@F?5 E96 962=E9 2?5 H6==\36:?8 @7 82C56?6CD @G6C ?@?\82C56?6CD E@ 36 D:>:=2C E@ E92E @7 C6D:56?ED @7 H62=E9J 4@>>F?:E:6D @G6C E9@D6 H9@ =:G6 😕 A@@C6C 2C62D]k^Am

kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 6?4@FC28:?8 >:?57F=?6DD[ 8C@F?5:?8 A6@A=6 😕 E96 AC6D6?E >@>6?E 2?5 AC@G:5:?8 2 D6?D6 @7 249:6G6>6?E[ %9@>AD@? D2:5[ QC6D62C49 92D 2=D@ D9@H? E92E 6IA@DFC6 E@ DF?=:89E 42? 3@@DE D6C@E@?:? =6G6=D[ H9:=6 4@?E24E H:E9 D@:= :?EC@5F46D 36?67:4:2= >:4C@36D =:?<65 E@ >@@5 6?92?46>6?E]Qk^Am

kAm$@[ :E D66>D J@F ;FDE 42?VE 8@ HC@?8 H:E9 82C56?:?8]k^Am

kAmQ!9JD:42==J[ 82C56?:?8 :>AC@G6D DEC6?8E9[ 7=6I:3:=:EJ 2?5 32=2?46] $@4:2==J[ :E 42? 7@DE6C 4@??64E:@?] r@8?:E:G6=J[ :E 6?8286D AC@3=6> D@=G:?8 2?5 4C62E:G:EJ[Q %9@>AD@? D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E :EVD 2 9:89=J 252AE23=6 24E:G:EJ]k^Am

kAmQv2C56?:?8 42? 36 D42=65 E@ 2?J DA246[ 23:=:EJ @C 286[ 2?5 :ED 36?67:ED 2C6 2446DD:3=6 E@ 6G6CJ@?6[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAms66A 5@H?[ H6 82C56?6CD 92G6 2=H2JD 36=:6G65 E9:D] }@H[ H6 92G6 E96 D4:6?46 E@ AC@G6 :E]k^Am



Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.

Comments are closed.

Pin