Handy Shares the Health Benefits of Gardening for Aged People

Introduction

Handy believes that gardening is a great hobby that offers many positive health benefits, and it is especially beneficial for seniors. Being out in the sun amid greenery and cherishing the natural beauty of vibrant shrubs and succulents can elevate your mood and help you to stay happy.

The Benefits

Here are a few health benefits of gardening for aged people:

1. It can lower the risk of dementia – Gardening on a regular basis can allow seniors to maintain their motor skills, improve their strength, and increase their endurance. In fact, according to a study, gardening requires the use of many critical functions such as sensory awareness and dexterity which has the potential to lower the risk of dementia by 36 percent.

2. It helps to keep seniors active – Although gardening may not involve as much energy or body movement as swimming or biking, it still requires you to move your whole body. For instance, you have to put your whole body to work when you have to plant the seeds, water the plants, remove weeds, and more. It’s a moderate-intensity exercise that burns about 200-400 calories an hour without putting too much stress on your body.

As a result, gardening is the perfect activity for seniors, especially after some light stretching. The best part is that moderate-intensity exercises such as gardening can allow people of all ages to prevent diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.

3. It’s good for mental health – According to a study published in the journal of Health Psychology, gardening can lower stress and anxiety by controlling the level of the stress hormone known as cortisol. Plus, it also helps to provide mental clarity and a sense of accomplishment and responsibility when you practice gardening regularly and spend time among nature.

The best is that you don’t even have to spend time outside for a long period if your health doesn’t allow it. Being around and taking care of indoor plants such as philodendron, vinca vines, golden pothos, dracaena, arrowhead vine, peace Lilly, Chinese evergreen, snake plants, etc., can allow you to improve your mental health by promoting a sense of ‘feeling good’.

4. It boosts the immune system – Research shows that gardening regularly can help to improve your immune system. Mycobacterium vaccae is a friendly bacterium that is found in garden soil that has been observed to improve the symptoms of asthma, allergies, depression, and psoriases.

5. It helps helpful for your body – Gardening out in the open allows your body to absorb sunlight and maintain adequate levels of vitamin D as a result. Vitamin D is vital for the functioning of the body and for elders, it is even more important since vitamin D helps to regulate insulin levels, maintain bone and tooth health, support lung and heart function, also support the brain, immune, and nervous system.

Conclusion

Handy suggests elderlies practice gardening with care and in the presence of caretakers who can support them along the way. Seniors should be provided special gardening tools such as a garden kneeler and rolling garden seat to reduce the stress of activity and make it more fun.