Do you know that gardening - or horticulture – is considered a gentle but effective physical activity?
Indeed, 30 minutes of gardening represent a physical effort similar to a 30 minutes walk. That’s not all, because plants have positive effects on health:
- They help to reduce the risk of illness (asthma) and discomfort (heat wave) and speed recovery after an operation or accident by improving the patient’s state of mind and body.
- They also reduce stress, enhance morale, stimulate creativity, physical and psychological aptitude, self-esteem, optimism and camaraderie.
- They counter certain allergies by fixing dust, ash, pollen and other particles on their leaves, reducing their presence in the breathing air.
- In addition, they mitigate the negative impacts of urban heat islands by balancing the temperature and increasing the relative humidity, which provides more freshness.
- Two matures trees produce enough oxygen for a four member family.
All these combined features mean that plants decrease the number and duration of hospital stays.