Gardening for exercise and mental health

Working in a garden — whether in the backyard, on an apartment rooftop or in a community garden — can help a person feel less stressed and more joyful.

There’s more to gardening than a gorgeous spread of flowerpots or a plot of fresh herbs and vegetables. Light gardening and yard work count as moderate physical activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. This can be broken into 30 minutes of activity a day for five days a week. The CDC also recommends at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities for most adults.¹ Gardening may also offer mental health benefits. And a person doesn’t have to be a certified green thumb to reap the rewards — so dig in and have fun.

In this article:

Gardening is a natural mood booster

Activities like walking and biking have long-standing reputations as mood boosters, but one study found that gardening ranks just as high on the happy-making scale. In a recent study of 370 people in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, researchers measured the participants’ emotional well-being during different activities. Gardening proved to be as effective at sparking happiness as walking, biking and even eating out.²

Organic gardener Allison Vallin Kostovick, who has 58,000 followers on Instagram and an active community on her website, Finch + Folly, explains how she experiences this mood boost. “For me, gardening has helped my mental health by providing bits of everyday magic, like seeing a simple, tiny seed that’s given care and nourishment grow into a huge, thriving pumpkin whose vines stretch out for yards,” she says. “As a gardener, you can imagine that if you apply that same tender love and care to yourself, you too will thrive and grow.”³

Gardening can improve sleep quality

Sleep experts advise spending time outdoors exposed to natural light to help set the body’s circadian rhythms, which regulate the sleep-wake cycle.⁴ But gardening, in particular, has also been associated with improved sleep. In a systematic review of studies, researchers found “evidence of a positive association between green space exposures and sleep quality and quantity,” which points to “therapeutic gardening as [a] possible intervention method to improve sleep outcomes.” The study authors found that “higher green space exposure is associated with a reduced risk for short sleep and/or poor sleep quality.”⁵

Gardening can help improve mood and reduce stress

Ever gotten lost in the motions of pruning away wilted flowers, picking ripe tomatoes off the vine or snipping fresh, aromatic basil? That’s the sense of the mesmerizing pleasures gardening can bring. A 2021 study in the United Kingdom quantified that feeling. According to the study authors, self-reported health improvements — in well-being and lower perceived stress⁶ — were linked as gardening increased to two to three times a week, and then again when the frequency increased to daily. Additionally, researchers found that participants saw gardening “as a rewarding activity in terms of providing positive emotions, especially relaxation, calming effects and a degree of satisfaction. Strong responses were given for the benefits associated with dealing with stress and depression and providing an opportunity for reflection and a sense of well-being.”

Gardening may help improve memory

If gardening tasks include more intense activities like raking leaves, weeding and mulching, it might be improving memory and brain function while improving the landscape. According to Harvard Health, aerobic exercise — which includes gardening work — can enlarge the part of the brain that controls verbal memory and learning.⁷ Another study also revealed potential benefits for cognitive function when people 65 and older engaged in gardening activities.⁸

Gardening fosters feelings of personal accomplishment

“Gardening puts you into caregiving mode, which can take you out of your own problems and reinforce your personal value,” says Mayo Clinic certified wellness coach Jamie Gold, author of Wellness by Design: A Room-by-Room Guide to Optimizing Your Home for Health, Fitness + Happiness.⁹ Whether a person grew zucchinis from seeds, rescued a dying mum or kept their dill thriving all summer long, it’s incredibly satisfying to nurture a living thing — and then enjoy the fruits of their labor either literally or metaphorically.

Gardening with others may also help with mental health

If someone finds gardening too solitary, they can just add some friends. A 2022 pilot study found that healthy female participants who engaged in group-based indoor gardening experienced improved mood and lower depression symptoms, stress and anxiety.¹⁰ According to the study authors, these participants also “showed improved mood shifts related to confusion, fatigue and tension as well as a reduction in anger.”¹¹

Whether someone’s a member of a community garden or maintains their own personal patch of plants, gardening allows them to be part of a wider community of green thumbs. “This is probably one of the kindest, most generous communities you could ever find,” Kostovick says. “When you garden, you nurture, so to surround yourself with fellow garden folk, you quickly learn that those nurturing tendencies expand outside the garden and into the way you treat each other.”¹²

Gather gardening tools

Make a gardening routine even better (and safer) with these useful products. Collecting these into a basket also makes for a terrific gift. 

Bug spray: Don’t let pesky bugs ruin gardening joy. Score some bug spray, like OFF! family care insect repellent or Stem mosquito and tick repellent.

Gloves: Covering the hands is recommended when digging in the soil, especially if someone has a cut or open wound.¹³

Sunglasses: When outdoors, it’s always recommended to shield eyes against ultraviolet (UV) light. It is recommended to use sunglasses that can block 100 percent of UV light or that are labeled to absorb UV light up to 400 nanometers.¹⁴

Sunscreen: Sunscreen not only helps prevent sunburn, but can also be a great defense against skin cancer and premature aging when used correctly.¹⁵ Consider Neutrogena Ultra Sheer dry-touch SPF 70 sunscreen, Sun Bum sunscreen spray SPF 30 or La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk body & face sunscreen lotion broad spectrum SPF 100. 

Water bottle: Since gardening counts as moderate physical activity and is usually done in warmer months, gardeners need to stay hydrated. According to the CDC, “drinking enough fluids is one of the most important things you can do to prevent heat illness.”¹⁶ So for the love of gardenias, drink up. This will be easier with a nice water bottle to drink from 

Yoga mat: A yoga mat, especially one like this Gaiam fitness mat, is perfect for padding the knees if they’re going to be under pressure for long periods of time.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your health care provider before taking any vitamins or supplements, and prior to beginning or changing any health care practices.