For long periods of time, the coronavirus pandemic caused all of us to be trapped in our houses, but a popular movement is helping individuals get outdoors and giving them a kind of comfort.

Gardening and planting are among the friendly practices that people do. Because our way of life has been dramatically affected by COVID-19, most have picked back the outdoor sport.

When everybody in the world sat inside the walls of their houses, amid the frightening news about losses and uncertainty, planting brought peace of mind to search for a distraction.

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 22: Volunteers plant tomatoes as they build a community garden on plot of land next to Charcoal Park, a community store, April 22, 2010 in Oakland, California. A handful of volunteers came out to build a community garden in honor of Earth Day.

Folks are now returning to nature amid pandemic

Noticing horned owls in trees in the neighborhood? Producing a bumper winter squash plant? In a recent survey, you may have a number in common with people.

People in the survey had significant increases in outdoor activity, especially among women during COVID-19. These ranges from stuck at home to stressed in crucial worker employment

The highest rises were seen in recreational sports. The statistics are as follows:

  • Wearing masks and practicing social distancing on walks - 70%
  • Watching wildlife - 64%
  • Relaxing outside by yourself - 58%
  • Gardening - 57%
  • Take photographs or perform other craft of nature - 54%

Individuals have often seen a revolution wherein they respect nature. So during the pandemic, participants answered they valued a stronger state of mental wellbeing and well-being in nature (59%), fitness (29%), recognition of the beauty of nature (29%), sense of belonging (23%) and faith (22%), together with other less popular beliefs.

One of the first published research to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic had also influenced the interaction of Americans with nature is the Vermont thesis.

The study's senior author, Rachelle Gould of the University of Vermont, said these statistics are like a treasure box of the pandemic moment. The findings act as a record of how in a moment of tremendous upheaval, individuals felt of their interaction with the entire rest of the world.

The report is the first of two UVM reports being reported by PLOS ONE on nature and COVID-19 this week.

Gardening: nice for your body

Plant lovers post the works in progress and landscape improvements taking shape in their homes through social media. Some also shared on social media how planting and gardening helped improve their mental health. Local plant nurseries are experiencing spikes in sales, too.

 

Throughout that unsettling period of life, planting may be a survival tactic. But for your physical and emotional health, it even comes with advantages.

Among other recreational activities, one study showed gardening could prevent cognitive decline in older adults. Our cognitive skills mostly affect the size of our brains, like learning and memory.

Planting has also been linked with understanding and recovery of mood disorders. It's a mild form of operation that offers respite from looking all day at your phone. And it will strengthen hand-eye coordination and finger flexion that transfers through to daily life-the capacity to rotate the joints.

ALSO READ: 4 Benefits of Plant Therapy at Home

Check out more news and information on Gardening on Science Times.