The benefits of gardening can have a significant impact on your life—both mentally and physically. Get outside to your garden, create a professional-looking landscape, or so some home maintenance to install gutter guards and a rain barrel to keep rainwater from damaging your home while conserving water. All the while, you are getting exercise, boosting mental health and your immune system, and lowering stress. Read on for the surprising mental and physical benefits of growing flowers of vegetable in your own backyard:

1. Gardening boosts the immune system

Gardening is a form of exercise, and a healthy body is the best defense against disease, beyond just the physical benefits of moving your body. Gardening not only promotes a healthy mind, it also has clear physical benefits aside from aerobic exercise. According to research from the University of Copenhagen, working in the garden strengthens the immune system because of the beneficial bacteria present in soil. Gardening outside can also reduce allergy symptoms, particularly if your allergies are seasonal in nature.

2. Exposure to vitamin D

Exposing your skin to the sun is important in producing vitamin D, which helps regulate the immune system and promotes a healthy amount of calcium for bone support. Instead of tanning, try gardening as your exposure to sunlight. Gardening can be a key component of a healthy lifestyle when done in moderation and safely. Be sure to wear sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and long sleeves if you’ll be outside exposed to sun for long periods of time.

3. Enjoyable aerobic exercise

If walking isn’t enough for you, or if you need an extra boost for your physical condition, gardening may be able to accomplish that for you. The fact that you are working with your hands and arms—digging, squatting to weed, moving bags of fertilizer and soil, and lugging watering cans—means that you are getting plenty of strength training exercises to improve your physical prowess as well. Gardening may be a stand-in for a workout session in your life, especially when you consider that gardening for an hour burns between 200-400 calories.

4. Lowers blood pressure and improves mood

Gardening is not just good for the body, but it can also improve your mood when done outside in the sunshine. Several studies show that just being out in the fresh air with a lack of technology can make you feel calmer and less stressed than normal in your day-to-day life. Further evidence finds that looking out on a green landscape is tied to several health benefits—such as faster recovery from surgery, less anxiety and depression, better stress management, and many other positive mental wellness effects.

5. Offers fresh produce that’s locally grown and free of chemicals

The benefits of a healthy diet are well known. When fresh produce from your garden is available, you will have an additional reason to eat healthier. And local gardeners also reap the benefits of produce grown without pesticides and chemicals that can harm your body. It is a good way to have healthier food available to you—backyard to table!

Gardening is a great way to get outside, keep your body in shape, improve mental health, and boost your mood. It is a good way to get the exercise you need, especially for those who struggle with other forms of exercise, and your efforts can create beautiful flower gardens or even vegetable gardens for you and your family to enjoy. If you’re unsure of how to start your own garden, contact a home contractor or lawn company to help get you started.