The Suprising Health Benefits of Indoor Gardening
Indoor gardening can actually improve your health!
The Incredible Health Benefits of Indoor Gardening
With outdoor activities being limited, indoor gardening may seem like a logical alternative for plant lovers everywhere. In reality, there is a strong argument as to why everyone should have an indoor garden of some sort. Why is that? Because there are incredible benefits of indoor gardening!
Whether you're an avid gardener that misses having dirt under your nails, like to have a few cute succulents around, or have a black thumb, a few houseplants could actually make a big difference in your health.
By improving your air quality, reducing your stress levels, lowering your blood pressure, and sleeping better at night, we're sure you'll find the benefits of indoor gardening pretty incredible.
1. Plants Improve Your Air Quality
We learned in grade school that plants inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen, but it is a bit more complex than that. They also absorb gases like formaldehyde, trichlorethylene, ammonia, and benzene, making the air we breathe more rich in oxygen. Miracle Gro calls plants "natures air purifiers."
To improve your indoor air quality, some plants to try include:
• English ivy
• peace lillies
• pothos
• Chinese evergreen
• snake plants
• spider plants
2. Indoor Gardening Can Decrease Your Stress Levels
A study has found that interacting with indoor plants can reduce both psychological and physiological stress. How cool is that? The study found that after interacting with plants, people felt "more comfortable, soothed, and natural." Danica-Lea Larcombe, an environmental health expert, wrote in The Conversation,"It has also been established that plants confer positive changes in the brain's electrical activity, muscle tension and heart activity." Even the soil itself can make you feel better because it contains microbes that are natural antidepressants.
To reduce stress, try these plants:
• succulents
• dwarf date palm
• spider plant
• peace lily
• bamboo
• skullcap
3. Gardening Indoors Can Also Help Lower Blood Pressure
The same study that found that indoor plants lowered stress levels also discovered that, after interacting with plants, people had "significantly lower" diastolic blood pressure levels. Marc Hachadourian, a horticulturist and director of the the Nolen Greenhouses at the New York Botanical Garden, says, "There are obviously therapeutic effects of caring for plants and gardening has been shown to decrease blood pressure and reduce stress." Long term, reducing blood pressure can help decrease risk of stroke, improve your vision, and boost the health of your kidneys.
To lower your blood pressure, try growing:
• rubber plant
• Boston fern
• English ivy
• aloe vera
• peace lily
• golden pothos
4. Believe It Or Not, Some Plants Can Even Help You Sleep Better
According to Miracle Gro, certain plants release oxygen during the night, which helps you sleep better, while jasmine actually creates a more restful sleep environment due to its odor. Plants like lavender also reduces anxiety, making it easier for you to fall asleep. Plants that purify the air are also good choices to keep in your bedroom to promote a restful sleep!
Put these plants in your bedroom to help you sleep better:
• orchids
• succulents
• jasmine
• lavender
• bromeliads
• valerian
5. Other Benefits of Indoor Gardening
• It can help reduce sickness. The Agricultural University of Norway found that rates of sickness fell by 60% in offices with plants in them!
• House plants have been found to reduce fatigue.
• Indoor gardening is a great choice for disabled people that struggle to get around and for those without yards.
• A study found that patients recovering from surgery that had plants in their room experienced less physical pain and took less painkillers than those without plants in their room.
• Another study found that women with houseplants tend to live longer than those without plants.
Keep the Conversation Going
Surprised by any of the health benefits indoor plants offer? Can you speak to any of them? Let us know by tweeting us @womendotcom, messaging us on Facebook, or direct messaging us on Instagram @womendotcom!