MANHATTAN, Kan., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Gardening is a great way for older adults to meet the physical activity recommendations for those age 65 and older in summer, U.S. researchers said.
Sin-Ae Park, Candice Shoemaker and Mark Haub of Kansas State University said that previous research has found that gardening improves mental health and decreases depression.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week.
The study was conducted on 14 gardeners ages 63-86, whose heart rate, oxygen intake and energy expenditure was measured. The study participants also kept weekly logs of their gardening activity. Subjects reported, on average, gardening about 33 hours per week during May, but averaged only 15 hours per week in June and July.
Gardening influences whole-body bone mineral density because it includes weight-bearing motions such as pushing a mower, digging holes, pulling weeds, carrying soil and other tasks that require using muscle groups in the entire body, the researchers said.
The researchers concluded that gardening is a good way for older adults to meet the physical activity recommendations, however, one limit the study found was the seasonal nature of gardening. In climates where there are defined seasons, time spent gardening or maintaining a yard in winter is less than in the warm growing season.
The study is published in the HortTechnology electronic journal Web site: http://horttech.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/18/4/639.
