Digging in the dirt offers more than fresh vegetables. Gardening combines physical activity, mental health benefits and even immune system support.

“The beauty of gardening is you’re burning calories with low impact on your joints,” says Dr. Gordon Peters, a medical director at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “You get low-impact exercises for knees, hips, ankles and shoulders.”

Health benefits of gardening

Dr. Peters: Here’s how gardening may help support your whole body:

1. Low-impact exercise that protects your joints. Gardening provides repetitive motions like lunging when shoveling, planting and weeding. You’re burning calories but with a lower impact on your joints. This is especially important for older adults.
2. Mental stimulation. You must plan the garden, get materials, seeds and make a layout plan for what will fit. You also need to think about how to protect it from insects or animals. You’re activating your brain and strengthening your memory. This is wonderful brain stimulation. and may help reduce sedentary time.
3. Natural stress relief and mood boost. Direct sunlight stimulates your pineal gland which gives you energy and improves mood. When it’s warm and sunny, you may feel stronger and healthier, allowing you to get more exercise. Overcast days often don’t provide the same energy and motivation.
4. Immune system support. When many of us were kids, we played outside and weren’t sedentary. Soil exposes you to microbes, bugs, pollen and allergens which may support your immune system. A specific mycobacterium in soil may stimulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.
5. Mindfulness and problem-solving practice. Gardening requires you to envision your end goal and work backward to plan the steps. When things don’t go as planned, you must think and generate solutions.
6. Sense of accomplishment and purpose. Community and support organizations often use gardening for this purpose.

Getting started for health benefits

Dr. Peters: Start small and make a plan. Make sure you stretch before shoveling, weeding or carrying bags of dirt. You’re still doing physical exercise, even though it’s often mild.

People with physical limitations or small spaces can still benefit. If you have a balcony or window, you can grow herbs or baby lettuce for salads. You may not get the same benefits of exercise, but you will get the memory, planning and sense of accomplishment when your plants grow. If you have no space of your own, investigate community gardens programs in your area.

Bonus benefit of gardening: clean food

Dr. Peters: Don’t forget that when you garden, you’re getting clean food. You can harvest vegetables and fruit without pesticides and insecticides, or you can at least minimize them. It’s a higher-quality food than what’s produced on factory farms.

“Gardening provides low-impact exercise and calorie consumption that’s not harmful to your joints,” Dr. Peters says. “You also get the mental stimulation and sense of accomplishment that comes with growing your own food.”

Complete guide to root vegetables in Tennessee

Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.