When you think about ways to stay mentally sharp as you age, putting your hands in soil probably isn’t one of the first strategies to come to mind. But as it turns out, gardening may actually be beneficial for brain health.
“Gardening likely supports cognitive health,” said Smita Patel, an integrative neurologist and sleep medicine physician at Endeavor Health. “Not because it definitively prevents dementia, but because it bundles physical activity, mental engagement, stress reduction and other healthy lifestyle habits into one activity.”
What the research shows
“The research [on this topic] is more compelling than you might expect from an activity associated with sun hats and strong opinions about mulch,” said Jordan Weiss, an assistant professor in the division of precision medicine and the Optimal Aging Institute at New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
One recent study that included nearly 137,000 participants aged 45 years and older found that people who engaged in regular physical activity, including activities such as gardening and yard work, were less likely to report memory problems and limitations in daily functioning connected to cognitive decline. The link appeared to be partly explained by higher physical activity levels and lower rates of depression.
“Gardening independently touches nearly every lifestyle factor brain-health research has already confirmed matters: physical movement, stress reduction, social connection, sleep quality and sustained mental engagement,” Weiss said. “When one activity lines up that well with the established evidence, it’s harder to dismiss as noise.”
A separate longitudinal study, which tracked participants from childhood into older adulthood, found that those who reported gardening (anywhere from “rarely” to “frequently”) at age 79 had better thinking and memory skills — and showed stronger cognitive performance relative to their childhood baseline — than those who never gardened.
However, the gardeners didn’t experience slower cognitive decline between ages 79 and 90. The findings suggest that gardening may support cognitive aging from childhood to late adulthood, but it may not protect against conditions such as dementia late in life.
This points to a broader takeaway: “These are large associational studies that do not give us enough evidence to recommend gardening as a specific way to stave off dementia,” said Anna Nordvig, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t help you stay mentally sharp throughout the years. Gardening engages multiple brain systems at once, including movement, sensory processing, automatic functions and higher-level thinking, Nordvig pointed out.
How gardening may promote cognitive health
As some of the experts mentioned, gardening is a complex activity that may support cognition in multiple ways. Here are some of the specific ways it might help.
Gets you moving
Digging, planting and weeding all fall under low-to-moderate-intensity aerobic movement, which helps improve blood flow to the brain and is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline, Patel said. “Physical activity is one of the most evidence-based ways to support long-term brain health.”
Exercise also increases levels of BDNF, a growth factor that helps maintain the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for forming new and long-term memories, and one that often shrinks in dementia, said Ashwini Nadkarni, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
So far, no research suggests there’s a specific amount of time you should spend gardening (or exercising, for that matter) to reap cognitive benefits. “What the broader physical activity literature does tell us is that consistency matters more than any single session, and that regular activity beats sporadic activity every time,” Weiss said.
Challenges your brain
One of the most powerful ways to stay mentally sharp is to introduce new or consistent stimulation into your daily life.
“Beyond physical benefits, gardening provides mental stimulation — planning, remembering plant care and problem-solving — which engages memory and executive function, supporting slower cognitive decline over time,” Patel said.
It also engages multiple cognitive systems simultaneously, which “may help build the brain’s resilience against decline,” Weiss added.
Reduces stress
Some research suggests that chronic stress can increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. One potential explanation for that is how stress can interfere with quality sleep. One study found that those who got less than six hours of sleep nightly were more likely to develop dementia later in life.
Spending more time in nature is often suggested as a way to manage stress and promote an overall sense of well-being. “Natural environments restore attention and reduce mental fatigue,” Weiss said. “Chronic stress damages the brain over time, so anything that reliably brings it down is worth taking seriously.”
Other ways to reduce dementia risk
Remember, gardening isn’t the be-all and end-all for dementia prevention. Instead, it “likely contributes a small but meaningful piece of the puzzle,” Patel said, but it’s “not a stand-alone solution.”
Keeping your brain and cognition sharp and healthy requires adopting many lifestyle changes — and staying consistent with them.
According to Weiss, other ways you can support your brain include:
- Manage your cardiometabolic health, as high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the brain over time.
- Keep learning new things — a language, instrument or a skill such as knitting — to keep your brain adapting.
- Spend time with your friends and community: Regularly socializing has been associated with a lower dementia risk.
- Aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, as the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggests.
- Follow a diet known to support brain health such as the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet.
- Get your hearing checked and address any issues, as untreated hearing loss is considered one of the largest modifiable risk factors for dementia.
No matter your age, it’s important to start thinking about brain health now, Weiss said. “The biological changes associated with dementia typically begin 15 to 20 years before any symptoms appear,” he said. “Habits built in your 40s and 50s matter more than most people appreciate.” So for your brain’s sake, grab your trowel, roll up your sleeves, and don’t be afraid to get a little dirty.
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