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You’ll enjoy different things at the various stages of your life. It mainly depends on your physical and mental capability, but you can enjoy anything as long as you’re able to do it. You might enjoy physical sports when you’re in your teenage years, or settle for a quiet game of chess when you’re an adult.
When you’re older, it’s inevitable that you’d prefer less strenuous activities because you didn’t have the same amount of energy that you had when you were younger. Hobbies like knitting, playing a game or two of basketball, and gardening are some of the favorite adult hobbies.
It’s nice to try gardening because it allows you to move around, and it’s also a relaxing activity. If you have senior citizens living with you, you can even get them to participate in gardening. Gardening offers a lot of benefits for senior citizens. Read on to know what these benefits are, and maybe you’ll both be gardening the next time you’re in your garden.
Healthy Benefits of Gardening
Gardening may seem easy to do, but don’t think of it as a mere hobby. It can provide the senior citizens living with you with benefits which can make them happy and healthy.
● Regular gardening provides strength for a senior citizen’s hands.
Older people get tired quickly because of dwindling energy. However, they shouldn’t be left alone, continually sitting down and doing nothing. Physical activities can help them retain proper body function, especially for their hands.
Gardening will require various activities such as changing or mixing soils for plants and filling or cleaning plant pots. These kinds of gardening activities can help a senior citizen’s hands remain strong.
● Regular gardening helps fight against dementia
The number of American suffering from dementia steadily increases every year. In 2017, the recorded figure is 5.5 million. This number has risen to 5.7 million people with dementia (commonly Alzheimer’s disease) in 2019.
Regular gardening lowers the risk of dementia for people 60 years old and above by 36%. Including regular physical activities in a senior citizen’s life can help them stay fit and healthy even in old age.
● Regular gardening boosts self-esteem and self-confidence.
Some people resent the fact that other people have to take care of them when they grow old. They need caretakers particularly if they’re not physically able to take care of themselves, and this can lead to them feeling sad about their situation.
Gardening helps senior citizens gain self-esteem because they can do the activities on their own (under your supervision). They’ll feel that they’re strong enough to do some things independently, and they’re not solely dependent on you for everything.
Being better physically affects their perception of life. People who feel like they aren’t able to do anything anymore are prone to sadness and loneliness, which can stress them out and possibly make them sick.
● Regular gardening minimizes the risk of strokes and heart attacks
Gardening lets senior citizens be active physically, and that’s a good thing for their overall health. Elderlies who are regularly active are less prone to heart attacks by 27%. Physical activities like gardening also lower chances of stroke by 30%.
It’s advisable for you to maintain this kind of lifestyle earlier in life, so you’ll be in excellent health when you get older (in addition to other factors like daily food intake, sleep patterns, etc.).
Gardening Tips
Senior citizens require extra care because they’re not able to do some of the things that you can do. Check out these gardening tips to make gardening more comfortable for them.
● Use raised garden beds
Older people might have difficulty in bending over to reach the plants. Put your plants in elevated containers so that the seniors can quickly reach them.
● Consider a vertical garden
Vertical gardens are trendy nowadays. They are multi-functional, and they are also helpful especially for older people. Seniors can quickly reach the plants because of the vertical positioning.
● Invest in a kneeler stool
If it’s unavoidable, use a kneeler stool to help make gardening more comfortable for the elderly. The foam pad helps cushion your knees so you won’t have a hard time while you’re kneeling. It also functions as a stool.
Takeaway
It’s not easy to take care of senior citizens because they require care and attention. You can take care of them yourself or look for a personalized home and senior care agency in Winnipeg to assist you at home.
If you have senior citizens living with you, try looking for ways to keep them physically fit. Try activities such as gardening, because it offers health benefits and it can also entertain the elderlies while they’re staying with you.
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