Community garden keeping residents active

Atrium Health Navicent's Carlyle Senior Living Center is getting residents active with a garden run by residents.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Atrium Health Navicent’s Carlyle Senior Living Center is getting residents active with a garden run by residents.

The garden started three years ago as a way for residents to stay healthy mentally and physically.

Tommy Goings, a resident at Carlyle Senior Living Community, says there’s a sense of pride in growing your own food.

“The main thing is you put a garden in for several reasons,” he said. “It’s pleasing to the eye to look at the beautiful flowers, and the next thing is it’s good for your soul, and then the next thing is watching it grow.”

Chief of Family Medicine for Atrium Health Navicent Dr. Harry Strothers says gardening can help improve mental and physical health.

“When you’re planting things, when you’re weeding a garden that is being active, that’s bending, that’s moving, that’s reaching, but usually it’s ways that aren’t going to hurt you,” he said.

According to Dr. Strothers, studies show being outside can help improve health.

He also says elderly patients who garden tend to be healthier.

Dr. Strothers recommends gardening early to avoid the hottest part of the day.