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27
Posted by Sarah Levin-Lederer on April 27th, 2026
Posted in: Blog
Tags: environmental health, gardening, resources
The old adage goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” So it’s time to get out in the garden to help those flowers and vegetables and herbs and greenery grow.
Gardening can positively affect your health and wellbeing by getting your body moving and contributing to a healthy environment. Learn more about the health benefits of gardening, ways to stay happy and healthy, and more with these resources.
The National Institute on Aging recommends three types of exercise to help stay fit, aerobic, muscle strengthening and balance. Good news, gardening and yardwork can be a part of both aerobic exercise and muscle strengthening exercises.
Learn more about the health benefits of gardening:
Being outside is good for our health—fresh air, Vitamin D from the sun, relaxing with nature. While we’re outside, working in the garden, it’s important to be aware of possible health hazards, especially in the summer sun and heat.
Gardening and yard work can be great exercise, but it also involves a lot of repetitive motions that can lead to sore and strained muscles and joints. Learn about some of the health issues related to repetitive motion and how to address them.
Gardening can involve a lot of bending, twisting, and lifting that may be hard or impossible for some people. But there are ways to modify the practice to make it more accessible.
Gardening has particular benefits for aging helping to keep the body and mind active but there are also specific challenges for older adults.
Gardening can help teach responsibility, math (how far apart do those plants need to be planted), science and more. Get started with these resources:
And check with your local public library—their library of things may have tools that will make gardening easier to manage.
ABOUT Sarah Levin-Lederer