Gardening as an activity has many potential health benefits, from the physical activity component to exposure of fresh air and sunlight, as well as the satisfaction of growing food and plants.  However, more than 400,00 people visit emergency rooms each year for injuries related to outdoor garden tools, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There are steps a person can take to get the benefits of gardening, while also staying safe.

Gardening Safely promoted gardening as a form of physical activity with overall health benefits, including mental health and to increase participants' knowledge and skills related to self-efficacy in injury prevention.

Forty community members and Extension Homemakers participated in sill building with Gardening Safely.

A formal survey was utilized to gage program impact as well as informal reporting by participants.  All participant rated themselves as moving to a 4 after participating in the program.  Rating scale was 1 - 4 reflecting their level of understanding of program topics.  All participants reflected YES to plans to change the following behaviors as a result of participating in the program:

I plan to increase the amount of time that I am physically active by gardening or other activity.   I plan to use knowledge or skills learned from this program to garden safely.

Participants reported:

"I will make more of an effort to use gardening to get in more physical activity.  This program will help me to do this more safely."

"I plan to get out more and plant more vegetables.  I also plan on using some of the safety things that was addressed."

"I will be more intentional in selecting and wearing gloves.  I will begin stretching activities."