(Published in summer editions of local Parish magazines)
Most of us have a garden of some sort – different shapes, sizes and contents but a defined outdoor space we can cultivate as we choose; for some this is a chore, to others a joy. However no matter whether we enjoy or endure almost everyone will have been doing some sort of gardening this summer and for a variety of reasons we will all be healthier as a result.
Mowing the grass, digging the vegetable patch, turning the compost are all activities that burn off more calories than we realise. There is plenty of evidence that getting outside in any way whatsoever is of great benefit to us all. Walking is probably the best exercise we can do. So, no matter whether your garden is big or small, pushing the mower up and down and making trips back and forward to turn the hose pipe on and off will all clock up those footsteps. Sunshine, in whatever quantity it comes, ensures we have sufficient Vitamin D to keep our bones strong and this is enhanced with any form of exertion. As well as the physical workout, gardening also enhances our mental well being too. Seeing, smelling, feeling plants, appreciating their colours, their textures, their scents, leaving the rest of our world behind and immersing ourselves in nature, is a fantastic therapeutic tool do alleviate the stresses of life in the 21st century. The ability to do this has not changed in hundreds of years and no amount of technology will ever replace it. We are also very lucky to live somewhere surrounded by countryside with lanes and paths to be enjoyed as well.
We have had a small patch of grass next to the surgery since it was built and this year we decided to fence it off and make a staff garden. We have dug some beds and planted them up, laid a patio and have a bench, table and umbrella. So come rain or shine all our staff can escape into a space away from the hustle and bustle of the front desk to recuperate. This is a medicine as powerful as a lot of those we pass over the counter.
Often the best health promotion tools are on our doorstep and this is literarily the case as we walk through our gardens every day.
Anthony O’Brien
Wyndham House Surgery