Gardening Boosts Cognitive Function as People Age, Research Suggests

Gardening can help older adults stay alert later in life, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland found that gardening in older ages is associated with “small but detectable cognitive benefits”.

The long-term study followed participants who shared details of their lifestyles and completed “frequent assessments” of their thinking skills until they were in their 90s.

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The “Lothian Birth Cohort 1921” study followed people who were born in the Edinburgh area, from the age of 11 onwards. Participants regularly took an intelligence test known as the 1932 Scottish Mental Survey.

Hundreds of participants took the same exam at age 79.

Of the 467 participants, 31% had never gardened, while 43% gardened regularly.

The results revealed that the 280 who gardened frequently or occasionally showed “greater lifetime improvement in cognitive ability compared to those who never gardened or rarely gardened.”

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Between the ages of 79 and 90, participants’ cognitive ability — including memory, problem solving and word fluency — declined overall, but researchers found that “gardeners’ previous advantage endured.”

Study co-author Dr. Janie Corley wrote in a press release how identifying behaviors that “facilitate healthy cognitive aging is of great public interest for preventing cognitive decline and dementia.”

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“Gardening is a key leisure activity in late adulthood,” she said. “Engaging in gardening projects, learning about plants, and general garden maintenance involves complex cognitive processes such as memory and executive function.”

She continued: “Consistent with the ‘use it or lose it’ framework of cognitive function, greater engagement in gardening may be directly associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline.”

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Azza Halim, MD, an anti-aging expert, noted that gardening has been studied as an anti-aging activity for seniors, providing physical, mental and emotional benefits, including for longevity and cognition.

Gardening is also considered a “low-impact exercise” beneficial for heart health and circulation, the doctor added.

“It provides mental stimulation to reduce cognitive decline as well as promotes mental and emotional development. well-being, relaxation and reduced anxiety,” she said.