Gardening is a healthy hobby for both mind and body. Did you know that gardening can lower blood pressure, prevent osteoporosis, increase muscle mass and keep blood sugar levels more stable? Avid gym members cannot compete with gardeners who lose track of time in this beloved pastime. Gardening is filled with fun opportunities for exercising the mind and body which keeps motivation high. That’s why it is a really great idea to garden with an Alzheimer’s patient. Consider the following benefits of gardening for the two of you:

• Exercise to keep fit and healthy
• Relaxation Response cultivated in a serene environment
• Beauty and fragrance that is mood elevating
• Feeling a part of nature instead of alienated by illness
• Creative stimulation instead of feeling destroyed
• Spirituality and purpose

And if you don’t have a garden? There are botanical gardens and neighborhood patches of land where you get a plot to beautify and grow vegetables. You maintain it, harvest what you planted and ultimately you have beautified the neighborhood.

Another option is that you can garden indoors ranging from ornamentals to herbs. You can start your own garden club and create with friends sharing gardening tips and knowledge. Present your ideas and show off what you accomplished to the group!