Whether you’re looking to stay active, relieve stress or connect with others, tilling the soil is one of many activities that can help you age with vibrance and vigor. Let’s explore some of gardening’s benefits for folks 65 and older.
Getting Your Hands Dirty Promotes Physical Well-being
While you might not think of gardening as exercise, it’s an excellent way to make light aerobic activity part of your daily life. Planting, weeding and watering can also improve muscle tone—and lifting small pots and pails offers just enough weight resistance to bolster bone density.
Spending time in the garden boosts your immunity, too, by exposing you to the sun’s beneficial UV rays. What’s more, a little time in the sun has been shown to lower blood pressure and increase levels of vitamin D, which is essential for immune function.
Nurturing Calm
Feeling tense or anxious? Grab those garden gloves and pruning shears. In a world of cell phones, computers and artificial lighting, connecting with nature can clear your mind and cultivate calmness, tranquility and overall emotional wellness. Evidence suggests that the physical act of gardening can lower stress hormones as well.
There’s also nothing like the satisfaction of arranging your own flowers in a vase or using home-grown produce in your favorite recipe. And who needs expensive air fresheners when you can create a fragrant environment the natural way by growing your own lavender, rosemary or jasmine.
Boost Your Brain with Buds and Blooms
From choosing the perfect plants to identifying signs of pests or nutrient deficiencies, gardening is a dynamic way to keep your brain active and engaged. Studies even suggest that gardening can help prevent cognitive decline by stimulating functions such as memory, problem solving and sensory awareness.
Gardening also provides continuous learning opportunities through hands-on experience with skills like plant classification, propagation and pruning. And as you explore the many facets of gardening—such as design, layout and color combinations—you’re also flexing your creative muscles.
Ready, Set … Grow!
Getting started with gardening doesn’t require a large yard or a degree in horticulture. Here are some tips that will help you get your green thumb into shape.
- Think low maintenance. Perennials, caladiums, tomatoes and lilac sage are all excellent choices. Also, look for varieties that are disease-resistant, drought-tolerant and native to your area.
- Go easy on your joints. Raised beds or containers can reduce the need for bending or kneeling. Vertical gardening, where plants are grown on trellises or walls, also minimizes reaching and squatting.
- Don’t neglect the birds, bees and butterflies. Plant a colorful mix of nectar-rich flowers that these beautiful pollinators love. Great choices include blue and red cornflowers, Spanish lavender, petunias and baby’s breath.
- Bring nature indoors. A windowsill herb garden or a well-placed fern can brighten your day no matter what the weather is like outside. Bonus: Plants release oxygen and can filter out air pollutants and toxins.
- Join a club. Community gardens and horticultural groups give you the chance to meet new people and form deeper connections with neighbors.
Many active gardeners call Springmoor home, and we’re delighted to help their efforts bloom. In addition to abundant outdoor garden plots, our community boasts a
Garden Room filled with natural sunlight and plenty of room to grow. Schedule your tour today and see our resident gardens for yourself. Call 919-651-4844.
