How Does Gardening Alleviate Stress in Older Adults?

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Stress can affect seniors for a variety of reasons, and improperly managed stress can lead to more severe health conditions. Because of this, it’s important to find constructive ways to avoid these emotions. Oftentimes, leisure activities like gardening can help seniors fight off stress with minimal effort. This includes small gardens on the patio or large areas in the backyard your senior loved one can tend to. Here are some of the ways gardening can alleviate your loved one’s stress.

Exposure to Sunlight

Your loved one’s mood can get a quick boost just by being in the sun. The fresh air and the influx of vitamin D provided by the sunlight are beneficial for emotional health. Exposure to sunlight increases the brain’s release of the hormone serotonin, causing your loved one to be more calm and focused. Your loved one can fight stress thanks to the sunlight, but remember that too many UV rays can be harmful to his or her skin. Make sure your loved one receives just enough sunlight to boost his or her mood and reduce stress levels.

The Calming Effects of Nature

The atmosphere and scenery in a garden can promote relaxation. Being outdoors and in touch with nature combats the stressors many seniors encounter on a daily basis. The sounds of nature can also help your loved one escape negative thoughts that may be running through his or her mind. A garden is the perfect place for meditation and relaxation to encourage stress relief.

Gardening also offers cognitive benefits for seniors, especially those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Aging in place can present a few challenges for seniors living with dementia. However, they can still live independently at home with the help of professional Dementia Care. Oklahoma City families can rely on Lifestar Home Care to provide their elderly loved ones with mental and social stimulation, timely medication reminders, assistance with meal prep, and much more. Our caregivers are available around the clock to help your loved one live a happier and healthier life.

Exercise

Gardening gives your loved one opportunities to remain physically active, which relieves stress. A senior’s aging body can get a moderate aerobic workout by working in a garden. The bending, kneeling, weeding, and pruning movements provide just the right amount of exercise to stimulate the release of endorphins. These feel-good neurotransmitters are released in the brain and begin fighting stress and pain immediately. Endorphins can boost mood, increase self-confidence, and relieve stress.

Gardening is a wonderful activity for seniors with few physical limitations, but those with limited mobility may need other ways to engage in physical activity. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of home care. You can rely on Lifestar Home Care to provide an individualized care plan to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can boost cognitive health and delay the onset of dementia.

Bacteria in the Soil

When gardening, seniors can relieve depression and anxiety symptoms. Mycobacterium vaccae is a harmless bacterium found in the soil of most gardens. It can increase metabolism and cause the release of serotonin in the parts of the brain that control cognitive function and mood. This bacterium can also alleviate stress due to depression caused by medications, lack of social stimulation, and many other reasons.

Gardening is just one of the many ways older adults can boost their health and wellbeing. If you have a senior loved one who needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Lifestar Home Care, a leading provider of Home Care Oklahoma City families can trust. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can boost cognitive health and delay the onset of dementia. Call us today to discuss how we can give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved one is being cared for with professionalism and compassion.

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