How Gardening Grows a Healthier Brain - AI Podcast

Story at-a-glance

• A nearly 80-year Scottish study found older gardeners performed better on memory and thinking tests than non-gardeners, even after adjusting for education, income and exercise
• Gardening challenges multiple brain regions through planning, memory use, problem-solving and decision-making, providing a more complete mental workout than simple exercise
• The sensory experience of gardening — touching soil, smelling plants, seeing colors an spending time outdoors — stimulates your brain while reducing stress hormones and improving mood
• Starting a garden requires no experience — even growing windowsill herbs or container plants provides brain benefits and helps build "cognitive reserve" against age-related decline
• Beyond brain health, gardening offers social connection through community gardens and clubs, which further reduces dementia risk and improves overall well-being