Cleaning & Gardening
Gardening and Housework have many positive effects on the older population. The older population has a higher risk of fallen injuries, arthritis, and cardiovascular issues. The best way to counteract these risks is by exercising. Surprisingly, it's possible to achieve exercise by doing their daily tasks, such as gardening and cleaning.
Gardening
Gardening is a great way to eat healthy and exercise. In a study they found that gardening has a positive impact on an individuals life satisfaction and health status (Ifantino, 2004). . It can also improve endurance and strength, which can decrease arthritis and osteoporosis. It was shown that grip strength, pinch force, and hand- eye coordination showed the most improvements (Wang & MacMillian, 2012). Most importantly, gardening can reduce stress levels and promotes relaxation.
Cleaning
Housework has shown many positive effects such as sufficient physical activity, better mental status, and better strength. Doing chores around the house like dishes, laundry, and cleaning has led to strength in the lower body muscles, which decreases the risk of falling (Lee et al., 2021). Many people in the older population don't exceed the minimum requirement for physical activities. Doing everyday housework showed that individuals were able to reach sufficient physical activity compared to their counterparts that didn't (Lee et al., 2021) . Lastly, housework was shown to boost mental capacity, which led to better cognition and attention span (Lee et al., 2021).
Want to know more?
Linked below is an article from BetterHealth showing the benefits of engaging in physical activity such as gardening for the elderly.
References
Lee, S. Y., Pang, B. W. J., Lau, L. K., Jabbar, K. A., Seah, W. T., Chen, K. K., Ng, T. P., & Wee, S.-L. (2021, October 1). Cross-sectional Associations of housework with cognitive, physical and sensorimotor functions in younger and older community-dwelling adults: The yishun study. BMJ Open. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/11/e052557
Mary, I. (2004, October 7). Gardening: A strategy for health promotion in older women. The Journal of the New York State Nurses' Association. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15884480/
Wang, D., & MacMillian, T. (2012, May 6). The benefits of gardening for older adults: A systematic review of the literature. Taylor & Francis Online. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01924788.2013.784942