Spending just half an hour a day gardening could reduce your risk of heart attack by over 50% according to new research.
Researchers studied 2,456 men and women aged between 65 and 74 over 12 years between 1997 and 2007. First they divided them into three groups according to the amount of physical activity they took part in.
Gardening can Improve your Health
The first group had ‘low’ levels of activity of less than four hours a week. The second, moderately- active group took light forms of exercise such as gardening for at least four hours a week. And the third were the most energetic, taking part in sports including running, swimming or ball games for at least three hours a week.
They found moderate physical activity led to a 54% reduction in deaths from heart conditions with a third fewer acute events such as heart attacks and strokes.
The sporty group did even better, with 66% fewer deaths and a drop of almost half in the number of emergencies.
Reduce the risk of a Heart Attack with Gardening?
Every year about 82,000 people suffer a heart attack in England. The British Heart Foundation says UK adults are three times more likely to be inactive compared to those in the Netherlands, with the average person walking for less than 10 minutes a day.