Following the recent study that showed gardening could benefit the male sex drive, separate research has shown that regular effort in the garden and greenhouse could be beneficial to older people‘s general health.
The study, carried out by Kansas State University researchers and published in HortTechnology, noted that certain activities such as raking, digging and mulching work both the upper and lower body.
It also noted these actions raise heart rate and oxygen uptake enough to be considered moderate exercise, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The research tracked the activities of 14 men and women aged 63 to 86 and found that certain periods of the year saw more activity than others.
While only carried out on a small test group, the study concludes that staying active in the garden and greenhouse will help keep elderly gardeners healthy.
Gardening is thought to help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis from occurring.