GROW WELL, LIVE WELL: THE BENEFITS OF GARDENING FOR OLDER ADULTS
As people age, staying active, maintaining mental wellness and engaging with others become increasingly important. While there are many ways to lead a healthy lifestyle, one pastime stands out for its simplicity and accessibility: gardening.
Laurel Mertz, M.A., a senior research analyst at Mather Institute, studies the wide array of physical and mental benefits gardening offers older adults. To explore these effects, she and her team surveyed more than 2,000 people aged 55 and better about the well-being outcomes they experience.
“From our studies, we found older adults who garden enjoy physical and psychological benefits that create a sense of purpose, gratitude and life satisfaction,” Mertz explains. “Older adults are interested in ways to improve their wellness, and gardening is a secret way to achieve this goal.”
On average, gardeners spend nearly five hours a week tending to their gardens – and that’s time spent getting hidden physical benefits through bending, lifting and weeding, all while enjoying themselves along the way. Even as physical limitations arise, Mertz says gardening can be easily adapted. Ergonomic tools, raised flower beds and indoor hydroponic gardens are all useful resources to older gardeners.
Gardening can also support healthy eating and a sense of independence, both of which Mertz says increase physical and mental well-being for older adults.
“Gardeners who grow their own food estimated saving more than $35 a week on their grocery bill,” Mertz says. “This is especially helpful as the costs for healthy foods continue to rise. Growing your own produce also creates autonomy, and seeing the process from start to finish creates a greater sense of purpose. Gardeners also get to cook fresh meals with their produce, which is empowering.”
Uniquely, gardening is a rare hobby where money isn’t the main barrier to entry. Initial setup costs, including seeds and plant food, are relatively low. Instead, Mertz says one of the biggest perceived hurdles is a lack of confidence and knowledge.
“My biggest recommendation is to find a friend and enjoy the process together,” Mertz explains. “People can join community gardens and harvest swaps to share tips with one another. They can also find a gardening mentor or visit a nursery and talk with the staff about what tools they need and what time of year to plant.”
For older adults without adequate space outside their living space for a traditional garden, Mertz recommends people utilize hydroponic gardens, which use soil-free and LED lighting systems to grow plants and produce year-round.
Mather provides free resources and programming, including monthly in-person and virtual gardening groups, to older adults to make gardening fun with social connection. One of the most popular is its Grow-It-Together Garden Kits, which include a complimentary hydroponic garden with seeds, materials and instructions – everything needed to grow five types of herbs or vegetables at home. For more information on this and other Mather programs, call 888.600.2560 or visit mather.com/programs/virtual-programs.
