Gardening provides many benefits for seniors, but the physical exercise involved can lead to some significant effects within a reasonable time frame. Here are four reasons using gardening as exercise can help your elderly loved one remain healthy.
1. Promotes Cardiovascular Health
Participating in physical activity is one of the most important things seniors can do to keep their hearts healthy. By working in the garden, your loved one is strengthening his or her heart and reducing the risk of coronary disease. Working in the garden helps your loved one move muscles and get the moderate exercise he or she needs to lower blood pressure, which could prevent heart disease or a stroke.
Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional home care. Prestige Home Care Orlando is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life.
2. Prevents Diabetes
Seniors are at higher risk for developing diabetes due to decreased physical activity, which makes them likely to gain more weight and develop unhealthy eating habits. However, exercising in the garden can burn calories, which can prevent weight gain and being diagnosed with diabetes. Due to the moderate physical activity that comes with gardening, this exercise can help your loved one lose weight and prevent or delay the progression of the disease.
3. Strengthens Bones
Working in a garden can prevent osteoporosis. Planting food and flowers builds muscle and endurance. Since gardening is considered a weight-bearing activity, it can increase your loved one’s leg and foot strength because his or her weight isn’t being held up by an object or water, which also makes it a great activity for boosting bone health.
Seniors who need help exercising should consider professional in-home care. Some seniors need occasional assistance at home, and oftentimes the family members who take care of them need time away to run errands, take a nap, go to work, or take a vacation. Windermere respite care experts from Prestige Home Care Orlando are available on an as-needed basis, giving your family peace of mind that your loved one will remain safe and comfortable while you relax or focus on other important responsibilities.
4. Boosts Cognitive Function
Gardening can also reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Working for at least 30 to 60 minutes in the garden is equivalent to walking a few miles. As your loved one is digging, weeding, and doing other things to help grow the garden, he or she is also getting the exercise needed to increase blood flow to the brain, which enhances memory and boosts cognitive health.
Some older adults need assistance with exercise and other everyday activities. Seniors can face a variety of challenges as they age, many of which can be mitigated with the help of professional in-home caregivers who provide high-quality senior home care. Altamonte Springs families trust Prestige Home Care Orlando to help their elderly loved ones age in place safely and comfortably. Call one of our dedicated Care Managers today at (407) 604-0504 to learn about the high quality of our in-home care services.