There are times of the year when it is perfect to go outside and explore your surroundings. Spending time outdoors will increase your love for the world even more. Why not use this opportunity to cultivate a garden too? This is perfect during spring and summer and is good for older adults out there. Gardening in senior living offers a lot of benefits to the body, mind and soul. Here are the benefits of gardening.
Lowers Stress Levels
If you have been spending more time indoors than outdoors, you may have been too focused on things that you can do inside. Watching TV, preparing meals for yourself, or keeping the house clean may be some of your tasks, and reasons to wake up each day. Being in the confines of your home, you may feel like there is no room to breathe in.
If you put gardening as a priority during warm months, you will notice how the fresh air changes your view on life. Studies have shown that this lowers levels of cortisol, a hormone that is responsible for stress and high blood pressure levels. This also makes you have a more positive mood. It will also bring peace and reduce anxiety levels.
Increases Positive Mood
Gardening has been shown to increase serotonin in the brain, a chemical that is responsible for increasing mood and improving feelings of peace and calmness. There are also studies that back up the fact on how gardening reduces depression symptoms. There is a certain bacteria in soil that happens to increase the release of this brain chemical, making it work as a natural anti-depressant.
Better for the Heart
Gardening is a form of moderate exercise, and being that way, it tends to be a good substitute for the more rigorous 30-minute exercises that you can think about. With this, it is able to reduce the risk of heart diseases such as stroke, and heart attack. A study conducted in Stockholm showed that gardening lowers the risk for these heart conditions by 30%. Since gardening also exposes you to the sun’s rays, you will also be able to increase your vitamin D levels, which helps lower the risk of heart disease.
Boosts Brain Health
Gardening is one of your positive life choices. That being said, it can reduce Alzheimer’s disease and all other forms of dementia. Gardening is linked to endurance, sensory awareness, problem-solving, and dexterity – all of which are crucial to decreasing the risk of acquiring dementia.
Increases Mobility
Aside from being a perfect form of physical exercise, gardening is also known for increasing strength and mobility. As you keep your muscles engaged, you are on your way to increasing your productivity, thus it can rebuild your strength if you suffered from a stroke.
There are indeed a lot of ways in which gardening can benefit you. This has been backed by certain studies. When in a retirement community, this can be included in your scheduled activities and events. Grab the chance to get involved in the activity in order to reap the above-mentioned benefits.
