The Benefits of Joining a Gardening Program in Your Assisted Living Community
Gardening has been a popular pastime for centuries. With gardening, you can relax your mind and provide your body with gentle activity, all while enjoying the journey of harvesting your own food.
Because of these benefits, many assisted living communities offer a gardening program. These programs offer you the ability to gather, socialize, and share in meaningful projects with other residents as you nurture your green thumb. And anyone can join an assisted living gardening program, no matter their experience level.
Here’s why you should consider gardening in your own assisted living community.
Stress Relief
Gardening keeps your hands and brain busy, so you have less time to think about life stressors.
The physical movements involved in digging, planting, and watering your garden can also knock out your stress. These natural movements help you stay active without having to opt for more strenuous exercise.
If you find yourself struggling to unwind in the evenings, consider joining your assisted living community’s gardening program.
Keep Your Mind Sharp and Active
It’s important to protect your cognitive skills at every age, but gardening offers particular benefits for seniors when it comes to brain health.
Activities like gardening that require active thinking and motor control have been shown to reduce seniors’ risk for dementia by as much as 36%. By joining your community’s gardening program, you can keep your mind sharp in a fun, productive way.
So get out there and garden to boost your brain health!
Immune Health Benefits
The old saying, “Some dirt won’t hurt you,” holds true — spending time gardening can boost your health in surprising ways.
Your immune system is responsible for keeping your body healthy, strong, and functioning at its best. Spending time outdoors, particularly near soil, has been shown to improve immune function over time.
This is likely because soil contains beneficial microorganisms that help train the immune system to better fight against many common ailments, from allergies to asthma.
You also get more sun exposure — and therefore, more vitamin D — when you’re out in the sunshine.
Social Opportunities
Socializing can be daunting for many new residents of assisted living communities. Your community’s gardening program is just the thing you need to make new friends.
People who garden together often share ideas, discuss their daily lives, and build friendships over time. Try out your community gardening program, and you might meet some new best friends!
Productivity
Some seniors struggle with feeling productive and useful in their communities at first. Assisted living gardening programs are designed to give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. You can take care of living things — plants — without the pressure or stress of deadlines.
Try Gardening in Your Community
There’s no harm in trying out your community garden program to see if you like it. Take a chance and start a garden with fellow residents — you never know where it might lead you!
