Taking up gardening as a hobby is a good way of achieving a healthy lifestyle, they say. And now a new study has found that the noble activity can also boost a man's sex life.
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have carried out the study and found that tending the garden for as little as half-an-hour a week can dramatically improve a man's performance in bed, the 'European Urology' journal reported.
According to them, digging, weeding or mowing the lawn for 30 minutes could reduce a man's chances of failing to live up to expectations in bed by more than a third while those who spend more time can more than halve their risk of impotence.
"Erectile function can be maintained even by low, regular physical activity. Energy expenditure of as little as 1,000 calories a week reduces the risk. Doctors should use the findings to encourage patients to do more physical training and adopt a healthier lifestyle," the researchers said.
In fact, the study found that men do not have to be keep-fit fanatics to reap the benefits and need to burn just 1,000 calories a week, leading British newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. This equates to gardening for 30 to 45 minutes, dancing for half an hour, cycling four miles in 15 minutes or jogging 1.5 miles in the same time.
In fact, the study found that men do not have to be keep-fit fanatics to reap the benefits and need to burn just 1,000 calories a week, leading British newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. This equates to gardening for 30 to 45 minutes, dancing for half an hour, cycling four miles in 15 minutes or jogging 1.5 miles in the same time.
This can reduce impotence by around 38 per cent, the researchers found. And men who burn off up to 4,000 kilocalories a week can their impotence risk drop almost 52 per cent.
Gardening is in fact gaining popularity in Europe. And some people have become so obsessed that there are now worries that people are getting addicted to the pursuit just like they would to gambling or drugs, a claim which many experts refute.