‘cardio’ in it relates to the heart, so when you think of better cardiovascular function, you know that it means gardening is, essentially, good for your heart, and if that’s not a reason to get outside and in the fresh air and start weeding, we don’t know what is.
In order for your heart to benefit from the gardening you are doing, you do need to put some effort in, and you’ll have to get a little out of breath – once this happens, your heart will start beating faster and giving itself a healthy workout.
Since we’re meant to exercise a little every day, if you are gardening that will count and you won’t have to do anymore as long as your heart was beating more quickly by the end.
If you already have dexterity issues, just make sure you pick plants that don’t need a lot of tending – in this way, the task won’t overwhelm you, and you can still benefit from getting outside.