3 Best Gardening Exercises for Seniors

Gardening is not only a peaceful hobby but also an excellent way for seniors to stay active and improve their overall health. As we age, staying physically active becomes increasingly important, and gardening provides a low-impact, enjoyable way to maintain fitness. Whether you’re planting flowers or harvesting vegetables, gardening offers a great workout for the body and mind. In this blog, we’ll explore the best gardening exercises for seniors to help you stay fit and prevent common age-related issues.

For additional advice on aging well, read our Aging Well: A Comprehensive Guide to Healthy Aging for Canadian Seniors guide. This guide offers valuable insights into how retirement communities contribute to fostering a healthy lifestyle.

The Health Benefits of Gardening for Seniors

Gardening provides a unique combination of physical activity that helps seniors stay fit. It burns calories, improves flexibility, and builds muscle strength. But did you know it’s also fantastic for bone health? A study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity found that women over 50 who gardened regularly had better bone density compared to those who exercised in other ways like jogging or swimming. This makes gardening one of the best activities to help prevent osteoporosis, which affects 1.5 million Canadians over 40.

Top Gardening Exercises for Seniors

Gardening involves a variety of movements that activate different muscle groups. To maximize the benefits and minimize the risk of injury, it’s crucial to strengthen the muscles used most frequently during gardening. Here are some key gardening exercises that will help keep you fit, flexible, and injury-free:

  1. 1. Bending (Core, Back, and Leg Muscles)

    Bending is a common motion when planting, weeding, or harvesting. To perform it safely:

    • Proper Form: Focus on tightening your leg muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings) as you bend. Keep your knees slightly bent and your back straight to avoid strain.

    • Strengthen with the Bird Dog Exercise: Start on your hands and knees. Extend your right arm forward and left leg back, hold for a few seconds, and switch sides. This exercise helps improve balance and strengthens the core and legs.

  2. 2. Raking (Core, Shoulders, and Arm Muscles)

    Raking involves repetitive motions that engage your shoulders, arms, and core. To rake safely:

    • Proper Form: Use short, controlled motions, keeping the rake close to your body. Switch sides every 2–3 minutes to balance the muscle engagement.

    • Strengthen with Wall Push-Ups: Stand facing a wall, place your hands shoulder-width apart, and perform push-ups. This simple exercise strengthens the upper body and core muscles, improving posture and raking ability.

  3. 3. Squatting (Glutes, Quadriceps, and Hamstrings)

    Squatting is essential for planting, weeding, or harvesting low-growing crops. Here’s how to squat safely:

    • Proper Form: Keep your torso upright as you lower yourself, ensuring your weight is on your heels, not your toes. Try to lower yourself until your bottom is near the ground, not your knees.

    • Strengthen with Chair Squats: Stand in front of a chair with your feet hip-width apart. Lower yourself as if sitting down in the chair, then rise back up. This will build strength in your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.

Get Involved with Gardening at Chartwell

If you’re interested in gardening and other wellness activities, Chartwell offers LiveNow programming that encourages seniors to stay active and engaged. Whether you’re a gardening enthusiast or a beginner, Chartwell’s retirement communities provide a supportive setting for maintaining physical and mental well-being.

To learn more about the benefits of living at a Chartwell residence, or to find a community near you or a loved one, visit our Find a Residence page and book a personalized tour today!


*The following sources provide references for this blog, in order of appearance:

  1. University of Arkansas. "Got Weeds? University of Arkansas Researchers Say Yard Work Builds Strong Bones." (2011), Online: https://blog.algaecal.com/gardening-series-bone-health-benefits/