Older adults need regular
physical activity to maintain their mobility and health. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seniors need at least two hours and
30 minutes of moderate-intensity
aerobic activity every week combined with
muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week.
Gardening is a
great way to meet the minimum required physical activity for older adults as it
not only keeps seniors moving, but it also contributes to maintaining muscle
strength. While it’s important to encourage your elderly loved one’s gardening
hobby, it's also crucial that they should ensure their safety while out in the
yard.
Benefits of gardening for
seniors
Gardening brings a wealth of
physical, mental, and emotional health benefits for the elderly. It’s a great
physical activity that can improve your flexibility and mobility. Moreover,
research shows that physical and visual access to nature helps people
recover from illness quicker, lowers blood pressure, and
reduces stress. While it improves hand strength, gardening can also improve a
senior’s self-esteem.
You can get a sense of
satisfaction from watching your plants flourish, as well as a feeling of
accomplishment. Gardening also enables seniors to become more social,
especially if they tend to their plants with a relative or a few friends.
However, it’s important to keep yourself out of harm’s way while enjoying this
pastime. It’s important to take some active steps
to keep seniors safe while gardening, and following these
tips will enhance your gardening experience while protecting you from minor and
major injuries.
Paint garden tool handles
with a bright color
The bright color will make
it easier for senior gardeners to easily locate
tools. Try painting trowel handles, hand forks, secateurs,
shovels, and the like with hot pink, cherry red, or bright yellow paint to make
them stand out among the greens. Make it a point to protect your back by using
a wagon with large wheels instead of a wheelbarrow to carry and transfer plants
and tools.
Dress to protect yourself
Protecting your skin from
the sun, insect bites, and chemicals is important when you’re gardening. Wear a
wide-brimmed hat to protect your face from the sun, and wear a long-sleeved
shirt and long pants to protect yourself from insect bites. It’s also important
to wear gardening gloves if you’re handling chemicals while gardening. To protect yourself
even further, use insect repellent containing DEET to keep
mosquitoes and ticks away, and slather on sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher
to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
Drink plenty of water
Gardening can make seniors
extremely thirsty, so drinking water while doing this activity is crucial to
avoid dehydration. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee or tea
while gardening, as these can dehydrate you even more. Instead, keep a bottle
of water within easy reach and take frequent sips while gardening.
Garden early in the morning
It can be extremely hot
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., so seniors should make it a point to garden early
morning or late in the afternoon.
Pace yourself and take
frequent breaks
Once you begin working in
your yard, change your position every 20 minutes and take frequent breaks. This
way, you won’t overexert yourself while gardening, and you can go back to
working in your yard the next day.
Seniors should follow these
tips to keep safe while gardening. Not only will you protect yourself from
harm, but following these techniques will make gardening more enjoyable and
fulfilling in the long run.
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