As a parent, you want to do everything that you can to keep your child fit and healthy. Unfortunately for you, your little one is not all that bothered about their wellbeing and is instead much concerned with beating their high scores on their favorite video games.
If you want to improve your child’s health, you have to make staying healthy fun. Fortunately, that’s where gardening can help. There are a host of wellness benefits to be reaped from this fun pastime, which is why you should encourage your child to partake in it.
Here are just some of the ways garnering can improve your child’s health:
Gardening encourages healthy eating
Should you and your child take it upon yourselves to grow your own produce in your garden, by the end of the growing season, you’ll both have easier access to healthier foods. As a result, your child will be sure to adopt dietary habits that keep them healthy now and help them to prevent chronic diseases as they grow older.
If you haven’t got any experience when it comes to growing food in your garden, be sure to consider the following as they are both nutritious and easy to maintain:
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Beans (navy, great northern, kidney, runner, etc.)
- Brussels sprouts
- Tomatoes
- Red bell peppers
- Beets
- Leaf amaranth
- Carrots
- Leafy greens
Gardening boosts the immune system
Gardening is proven to improve health in a number of different ways. Aside from the physical activity that it will force your child to engage in, it will also expose them to a variety of microorganisms that have been known to boost the immune system. To ensure that your child is getting the exposure he or she needs in this instance, you should never be afraid to let them get a bit dirty. When your child comes into contact with certain soils and animals in a natural way, they will be far less likely to develop autoimmune disorders.
Gardening improves exposure to Vitamin D
If you and your child head outside on particularly sunny days, they will be exposed to Vitamin D. The benefits of them being exposed to this all-important vitamin are as follows:
- Their bones and teeth will be healthier.
- Their brain and nervous system will be supported.
- Their insulin levels will be regulated.
- Their lung function and general cardiovascular health will be supported.
- The expression of their genes will be positively influenced.
Gardening enhances motor development
Keeping your child physically fit is only half the battle, as you have to tend to their mental health as well if you’re to keep them truly healthy. Fortunately, gardening can help you to do just that. Once they embrace this pastime and take on tasks such as spreading Nature’s Seed grass seed, pulling weeds, and pruning plants, your little one will be sure to cultivate skills that enhance their motor development.
When you are looking for a hobby that will entertain your children and keep them healthy over a longer period of time, then you should be sure to consider gardening.