Lung Health Awareness Month November 2017
This month, the Lung Foundation Australia is encouraging people to pay attention to their lungs with Lung Health Awareness Month. Plants and gardening are two ways that you can improve the health of your lungs.Plants are great for your lungs. Their leaves absorb the carbon dioxide that you exhale and use it in photosynthesis to produce the oxygen that you breathe. It's a wonderful symbiotic relationship. Furthermore, according to the NASA Clean Air Study, indoor plants can be used to filter toxic agents from the air (see below).
And that's not all.
The act of gardening gives your whole body - including your lungs - a workout. The below infographic compares the calories burned per hour of some common gardening activities. Although some of these activities are a little more common in Australia than others!
But what happens if you have a lung disease, and find yourself short of breath during exercise? Lung Foundation Australia and Better Health Channel suggests the following:
- limit bending down: consider raised garden beds, or use a stool or kneeler. Long handled tools can also save you from bending down.
- ground cover plants will reduce the need for weeding.
- place chairs around the garden for regular breaks.
And remember: if you ever feel like your garden is a bit too much to manage, don't be afraid to ask for help. Gardening is a wonderful pastime for bringing people together. Alternatively, get in touch with TGA to talk about our garden maintenance services carried out by qualified landscape professionals.
Happy gardening!