With people across the UK enthusiastically watching the Olympics, NS&I is urging people to take encouragement from these athletes - to go out and get fit in a cost effective way: gardening. And while being healthy by doing exercise is just one reward of digging your plot, the other is the pounds that you can save as you do so.
"Gardening is great for people's health and fitness," says Tim Mack, Head of Communications at NS&I. "Weeding, digging and sowing all count as moderate exercise. In fact, gardening for an hour will burn more than 300 calories1. And an added bonus of gardening is the positive effect that it can have on people's financial fitness."
With an average monthly gym membership costing more than £45 at the major chains2, getting fit by gardening instead of at the gym means that you can save pounds as you burn them.
In the last few months the Consumer Prices Index has recorded considerable food inflation3. This, coupled with a recent report by mySupermarket showing that the average family is spending an extra £750 on their annual food bill3, highlights that growing your own vegetables is also a great way to reduce your outgoings on groceries.
Tim Mack adds: "Putting food on the table is more costly these days, but growing your own vegetables somewhat eases this financial pressure, as well as helping people live a healthier life. You can save even more money by growing more exotic and oriental varieties, such as celtuce, ceylon spinach and Chinese mustard greens."
Growing instructions for a number of oriental vegetables can be found at http://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/crops/orientalveg.asp.
For further information regarding the Royal Horticultural Society's Grow Your Own Veg campaign visit the website at www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables or www.nsandi.com/rhs.