From physical activity to social interaction, here are the main reasons why spending time in your garden supports better brain function The joy of gardening is that you get to see something grow and flourish (even if your life feels arid). “Gardening is very broad and holistic and provides benefit without people really noticing it,” says Ben Thomas, CEO of the gardening-for-health charity Thrive. “It also reduces social isolation, gives us a sense of purpose and connects us to the seasons.
” And the healing benefits are astonishing health professionals, too. Last week a groundbreaking study found gardeners may receive protections against dementia and lead longer lives. The University of Edinburgh research, which tracked hundreds of people and their lifestyles over nearly a century, found that those who spent time gardening had better brain function in later life.
On average, the 280 who frequently or sometimes gardened had better cognitive ability as pensioners than they did aged 11. But the 187 who had never gardened, or rarely did so, typically had a lower test score than when they were children. Significantly, the link with gardening ”persisted after adjusting for education , occupational social class, health factors, and importantly, overall physical activity”.
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