Not only does June bring in the official start of Summer, but it’s the month we celebrate Gardening and National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month!
Gardening offers many benefits to people of all ages, but especially for Seniors. It’s great for both mental and physical health and is a wonderful form of therapy and socialization. Whether you live alone or in a senior living community, here are 5 health benefits you can take advantage of while gardening:
- Exercise – You probably don’t even realize what a great source of exercise gardening is. From planting to pulling up weeds, you can burn anywhere from 200 to 400 calories while bending, stretching, squatting, and pulling. Beyond the calorie burn, it’s right up there with Yoga to help with flexibility!
- Improves muscle strength – Those weeds can be formidable opponents! Just a few hours a week in the garden can give you the workout you need to gain some muscle strength. Add in pushing around a wheelbarrow and you’ll be ready for the Garden Olympics in no time. Ok, that’s not really a thing, but maybe all that hard work will help you win a blue ribbon at a fair or local competition.
- Vitamin D – You should always wear sunscreen while outside tending your garden, and maybe a wide brim hat and sunglasses too, but just a few hours of sun exposure can give you more Vitamin D than a glass of milk.
- It’s relaxing – Gardening requires hand-eye coordination which helps keep your brain and body in sync AND it lowers stress-producing cortisol levels. You may also find you are happier while gardening because it can raise your serotonin too, the calming chemical in your brain.
- Lowers your risk of dementia – The combination of the physical demands of tending your garden and the critical thinking needed to determine what to plant, when, and how to care for it are shown to reduce the changes of Alzheimer’s.
It doesn’t matter if you plant flowers or vegetables, gardening can still provide the same benefits and it doesn’t matter if you have a huge plot of land or just a few window boxes. Here are a few simple gardening tips:
- When planting outdoors, determine what works best in the sunlight or shaded areas of your garden. Flowers, fruits, and vegetables grow differently in various soils.
- Have a water source nearby to irrigate plants more-easily if they are not getting enough rainfall. A light watering can or hose is perfect.
- Add 2-3 inches of mulch around each plant to help keep moisture from evaporating and pests at bay.
- Plant food or fertilizer may or may not be necessary, but if you use it, go organic!
- Tools to have on hand include a spade, hand trowel, clippers, gardening fork and thick gloves.
- The health benefits of gardening for seniors don’t stop once everything is planted. Make sure the garden is “senior-friendly” by setting out comfortable chairs or benches underneath shady areas. Rest and check out the scenery!
- Tend the garden in mornings and evenings when the temperature is cooler.
- Wear gardening gloves, solid shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.
- When you are watering and pulling weeds in the hot sun, be sure to stay hydrated! Drink a lot of water.
“Mini-gardens” in containers on a windowsill or terrariums are great options if you have small spaces or can’t access a yard to plant in. They are full of greenery and a reminder that life is still a garden of opportunities. Whether you are off to create a mini vegetable farm, or simply enjoy your gorgeous window boxes or terrariums, gardening is a health benefit you should wholly embrace!