One of the main benefits of your backyard swimming pool is the health benefits it provides — not just to your physical health, but to your emotional and mental health as well. Of course, a holistic view of health recognizes that all of those are intertwined — even if we can’t always tell exactly how. As you incorporate various aesthetic elements into your outdoor oasis, a vegetable garden might be the one likely to provide the most thorough health benefits — as well as the most significant multi-sensory impact!
Healthy Eating for the Win
In a previous post, we briefly mentioned that an herb garden is a great place to start your gardening adventure. Just 3 little pots with basil, oregano, and rosemary can equip you to make your own fresh marinara sauce. Add in a few tomato plants in pots and some garlic and onions, and you’ll be able to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes with farm-to-table goodness along with aromatherapy and, of course, the kind of savory sensation that is only really optimized when you’re using the freshest of ingredients.
Often sourcing fresh produce can feel frustrating — in part because it can get expensive! But when the ingredients are right outside your window and you have a patio poised for outdoor dining, right there next to your swimming pool, voila! Suddenly healthy eating becomes easier and much more easily within reach.
Adding a tossed salad to any meal also becomes a breeze when you have fresh spinach, lettuce, or other leafy greens readily available. And the fact that you have to bend down and move around to pick them? You just added more “unconscious exercise” (just like swimming does) to your day, as well!
Improved Mental Health
The benefits of vegetable gardening don’t end with your body, though; mental health can also be improved, as a result. According to one health proponent, “Nothing is better for the body and mind than getting yourself outside and moving in the fresh air. While working in your garden, you will be doing both anaerobic and aerobic exercises.” Compared to lifting weights, gardening actually allows you to burn more calories in the same amount of time! Of course, with gardening, you also get the benefit of vitamin D, which helps boost your immune system — among other things.
The same source reports that even a minimal half hour per week spent planting or tending your vegetable patch can help improve negative emotions and increase positive “self-esteem and mood by dissolving tension, depression, anger, and confusion.” And here’s an explanation of why this is the case: “Contact with soil can also trigger the release of serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Researchers found that certain soil bacteria affect our brain in the same way antidepressants do.”
When a few pots can add up to not only visual booms to your outdoor oasis but also reduce your food budget and improve your overall health this much, it’s definitely worth getting your hands dirty!
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Lyon Financial
Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 400,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.
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