Improving the Well-Being of Seniors through Gardening

As summer begins in full swing, gardens are full of life. But did you know that gardening can significantly improve your life? Gardening is the perfect activity to go outdoors and soak in the sun during summer months. Gardening is not simply a leisure activity, it can have a number of positive impacts on the physical, mental and emotional well-being, especially for seniors. The benefits that gardening brings to seniors have long been studied and proven to improve overall health.

Here  are 4 top reasons why gardening can make your life bloom!

1. Physical exercise and More Vitamin D

Gardening presents an opportunity to have low to moderate intensity exercise. Planting, transplanting and watering are considered low intensity activities; while digging, raking and fertilizing are considered moderate intensity activities for seniors. A study from the Centres for Disease Control recommends at least 30-minutes of moderate intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. 
Gardening also allows people to soak in Vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption which is essential for maintaining bone health. As bones weaken with age, for older adults it is of great importance to get an appropriate amount of Vitamin D.

2. Improved cognitive function

A 2019 study found that physical exercise done during 20 minutes of gardening significantly improved cognitive performance. It found participants in the study had significantly increased brain nerve growth factors which are essential for memory improvement and neuronal survival.

3. Emotional and physical well-being

Being in nature and looking at plants have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety  and sleep problems. It comes as a breath of fresh air to know that gardening also improves self-esteem. It’s fair to say that gardening is good for physical health as it lets you be outside and soak in some Vitamin D.

4. Enjoy the fruits of your labor

The end product of flowers, fruits and vegetables. You can show off all your hard work to your friends, family and loved ones. Being able to grow something with our own hands is extremely rewarding. With gardening, the end results can be used to decorate or be eaten. There is no better satisfaction than being able to eat the produce grown with your own hands.

While gardening can be a wonderful activity, it is important to take precautions. Here are 3 useful tips to help you make gardening a safe and enjoyable activity.

1. Make it accessible

Have raised beds or potted plants on a table - bending and kneeling usually associated with gardening can be a pain point for seniors. It also helps avoid excess pressure on the back and knees. Regular gardening tools can be switched out for bright, lightweight and ergonomic ones. This makes tools easily identifiable as well as ensuring the senior does not put on excessive strain while gardening.

2. Protect yourself from sun

While the sunshine is enjoyable, with age people become more sensitive to heat and light. Therefore it is important to wear a good sunhat, sunglasses, sunscreen and long sleeved clothes. Remember to have some water close at hand so you do not get dehydrated. It is best to stop gardening from 11am to 3pm when the sun is usually the harshest. These precautions will help prevent sunstroke and sunburns.

3. Get a gardening buddy 

Gardening can be made more fun and safe by gardening with someone else. In order to avoid fall risks and have someone help with the more intense aspects of gardening, get a gardening buddy. Seniors can do this with their children or grandchildren. However, people are usually busy with work or school.

Have you heard of Tuktu? Seniors can get gardening companions from Tuktu’s services. A Tuktu provider will be present to help with all gardening needs and ensure safety during the whole activity.

At Tuktu we take the safety of our clients very seriously. All Tuktu providers have to complete a background check, provide references and do an interview to assess their eligibility. After the completion of the service we follow up with the provider to ensure that services were completed satisfactorily. To know more about how Tuktu can make gardening for seniors a safer and more enjoyable experience, check out Tuktu’s gardening buddies page.