Pay Now -or- Pay Later

I recently read an article in the AARP magazine (yep, you got it, I'm AARP qualified) called "Boost Your Brain Health" by P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D. and it targeted the aging effect.

Although they still don't know how or why everything in the brain works, "Studies show that diverse, mentally stimulating tasks result in more brain cells, more robust connections among those cells, and a greater ability to bypass age-or disease-related trouble spots in the brain. The more you work your mind, the greater your cognitive reserve. And the greater your reserve, the greater your ability to withstand the inevitable challenges of aging."

Here's the news gardeners: By the very acts of gardening you are not only exercising your body, you are better able to withstand the inevitable challenges of aging. Woo babe - good news no matter what your age.

Challenging your mind and body may not prevent all illness or disease but it can certainly go a long way and that's good enough insurance percentages for me.

Gardening takes planning; layout, costs, shopping, ramifications evaluations, investigation of new techniques, and on and on. The mental exercise is for every season.

Gardening takes muscle; lifting, pulling, reaching, pushing, moving, mowing, hoeing, spading, and on and on. Even if physical ability is limited, there are many physical activities for almost every level.

Gardening is social; talking, reading, visiting, helping, listening, sharing. Although there are many tasks that may be accomplished or even appreciated for the solitude, by and large gardening is a social exercise.

The article quotes, "...studies by (Fred) Gage (Ph.D. of Salk Institute for Biological Studies in LaJolla, CA) and others have suggested that the more physical and mental exercise you get, the more brain cells you grow, the longer they survive, the better they connect with other nerve cells."

"Movement is so crucial to brain health that some of the cognitive changes blamed on aging may in fact be the result of inactivity..." Gage added.

There was a good notation in the article that I'm taking quite seriously, it cautioned: "pay attention to what you're doing. As we age, we become prone to distraction...even a split-second loss of focus can prevent memory from being stored." (It's the can't remember where I laid the clippers thing).

This easy distraction issue can cause accidents. Tripping and falling can be deadly. But, most can be prevented by thinking out what you're doing and keeping your mind on what you're doing.

Now, between you and me - just the two of us - I was always sure gardeners had the edge on staying young both physically and mentally! Is it a look in the mirror and sing "Who's the prettiest of them all." kind of young - probably not. It's heart, body and mind healthy at any age.

Here's my prescription for your gardening spring: If exercise is something new or in your past, get a check up first. Once you're OK to hit spring running, start the day with stretching first.

Before leaving the house, slather on sunscreen. Wear a hat and sunglasses in the sun. These help prevent skin cancer and cataracts.

Will you have aches and pains from gardening? It would be unusual if you didn't. Ache from hard work is good - pain from injury is not good. Know when to quit or when to take a break. Know when your body goes from "boy what a workout" to "I just pulled a muscle in my back" and stop before the pull.

Enjoy gardening and enjoy the shared experience with others. As mom used to say, "It's good for you."