Important medical advice
Always speak to your GP before starting any new course of activity. They can give specific advice and recommendations based on your individual situation.
Chronic pain, in its many different forms, affects a huge number of people. In the UK, around 8 million adults report having chronic pain that is moderately to severely disabling. Those affected by pain at some level may be even higher – potentially as much as a third of the UK population.
There are many types and causes of chronic pain. Some of the most common include:
Many people with chronic pain may experience more than one type. Major events such as cancer, menopause or an operation may also bring on or worsen symptoms.
Living with chronic pain can completely transform people’s lives and what they are able to do. There is also a significant economic cost, with back pain alone estimated to cost around £10billion in the UK each year.
I've lived with chronic pain for 20 years but as I've aged (and particularly since menopause) I've had to lower the regularity and types of tasks I do.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
If you have chronic pain, you will most likely be under the care and support of healthcare professionals. According to NICE guidelines, self-management can also be used from early stages and can complement other therapies.
Gardening and time in nature may not be able to cure chronic pain or the causes of it. But it can be used as part of an overall health and wellbeing plan.
Always speak to your GP before starting any new course of activity. They can give specific advice and recommendations based on your individual situation.
Gardening for mental health
Time spent gardening and connecting with nature can have a positive impact on mental wellbeing.
Focusing on gardening activities, or the natural world around, can be a welcome distraction from thinking about pain.
Gardening is good because I can focus intensively on what I’m doing, concentrate on a problem or go into a kind of trance.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
There is a growing body of research to support the idea that gardens and green spaces can help with mental health.
Research in Sweden found access to a garden has a significant positive impact on stress. This is true even if the person has a simple balcony.
A report in Nature Medicine found that hobbies such as gardening, reading, and arts and crafts are linked to lower levels of depression in people aged 65 and older.
A UK government-backed project looking into tackling mental ill health through green social prescribing found that activities including community gardening and nature walks contributed to an increase in happiness and life satisfaction and a decrease in anxiety
I love the effect gardening has on my mood, and I do hope it is improving my overall health. However, some aspects of it … cause my lower back pain to grow worse.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Some people prefer gardening alone. There are also ways to connect with others through gardening. This could be by getting help with gardening jobs – particularly more demanding ones. Or you could share gardening tips and produce with family, friends, and neighbours.
Another way to connect through gardening is to join a community garden or local gardening club. Or, you could join our online Thrive Gardening Club and sign up for our regular newsletters!
In a 2024 Thrive survey on gardening and chronic pain, 86% of respondents said gardening helps boost their mood and 80% said it makes them feel less stressed / more calm.
Gardening for physical health
Gardens and nature offer the opportunity to support physical health in different ways.
If manageable, more active tasks like digging and mowing can help burn calories. There are also a wide range of gentle activities that involve flexibility and dexterity. Sowing seeds, deadheading, and pressing flowers are all examples of these.
I find keeping active and being outside relaxes me and takes my mind of the pain for a time.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Pain management is an area of medical science that continues to develop in terms of best practice. Increasingly, it is suggested – for example, in the Resolve Back Pain handbook – that bending and as much normal movement as possible is to be encouraged for those with chronic pain.
In a 2024 Thrive survey on gardening and chronic pain, 70% of respondents said gardening helps with physical fitness. While 25% said gardening helps them to manage chronic pain symptoms, 25% also acknowledged it can make their symptoms worse.
You may find some gardening activities make your pain symptoms feel worse. Finding the right technique and tools for you, along with some advance planning, may help make this more manageable. We offer advice below.
Being physically active can often have a positive knock-on effect on mental wellbeing, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
Whether you are an experienced gardener or are just getting started, if you have chronic pain there are a few important things to think about. This can help make gardening more accessible and enjoyable.
Finding motivation
You may sometimes find it hard to get the motivation to go into the garden, particularly if you are feeling low on energy. Here are some tips to help you through these days:
It’s hard to get out and have the motivation.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
A cup of tea and biscuits always works for me as motivation!
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Love yourself and your garden for what you are – messy, complicated, beautiful and bursting with opportunities to connect.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Warming up
Like with any physical activity, it can be a good idea to gently warm your body up before you begin gardening.
You could do a few minutes of gentle stretches or take a short stroll around the garden. It is a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional about the right sort of stretches or warm-up routine for your individual needs.
Little and often
You may find it easier to work in short bursts to avoid getting too tired or to reduce pain.
You can break gardening activities into small steps and not worry about doing everything at once. For example, you could just weed one small area, or just water the plants that need it the most – like containers.
I can only do short bursts in the garden, and I rely on things like low chairs and tools to help me.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Take frequent rests – a good spot of looking at the garden is an enjoyable activity too!
You may find it takes longer to complete activities than you make like. Try not to feel frustrated and accept that things will happen at a slower pace.
Vary activities
As well as just doing little bits, you may find it more comfortable to change what you’re doing. This avoids staying in the same position.
For example, you could do a little bit of tidying, take a break, then enjoy a sensory stroll to admire what’s growing.
You may find it helpful to set a timer for 20 minutes to avoid the frequent gardening problem of getting carried away with an activity!
Consider garden design
Some changes to your garden layout and what you grow may make it easier to manage.
Raised beds are fantastic for bringing plants closer to you, allowing you to adapt your body position.
We've installed raised beds - it's SO much easier to get to the soil & plants now. This has been a long-term project though & meant a lot of saving up.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
You may find gardening in containers easier to do. Containers reduce the need for weeding and digging. They do need watering more often, though, as soil dries out faster in containers. You can position containers close together to make watering easier to do.
You could also choose to grow low maintenance plants, that take less effort to care for.
If you need to do more from a seated position, there are plenty of tabletop activities. If you have a table outside you can work at, you can sow seeds and plant up containers, for example, while sitting down. Find more suggestions towards the end of this article.
Our guide to accessible garden design has plenty more suggestions.
Get help where needed
You may find some activities are more difficult to do, or trigger pain. By getting help with these, you can leave yourself free to enjoy activities you enjoy most and feel most able to do.
Our guide to getting help in the garden offers advice on finding support.
I pay someone to cut the grass. Gardening lifts the spirits and is an essential part of my life.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
You may be able to carry out some gardening activities without adjusting tools or techniques.
If needed, there are ways to make activities easier to do and reduce potential impact. We share some tips for key gardening activities below.
If possible, try and hold any tools before buying so you can test that they are the right length and weight for you. Keep your tools sharp and in good condition so they are as easy as possible to use.
Lightweight long-handled tools
If you want to garden at ground level, lightweight long-handled tools may help you maintain a more comfortable body position.
Think about the activities you want to do and the most suitable long-handled tool. For example, if you want to weed garden beds you may want a long-handled hoe. Or, if you are pruning you may want long-handled pruners. See below for specific advice for different activities.
Multi-change tools
Multi-change tools allow you to change the tool head to suit the activity. There is usually a choice of handle lengths – i.e. multi-change short or long-handled tools. This avoids having to carry around lots of different tools.
Changing the tool heads around can require some dexterity. It is worth checking you are comfortably able to do so before buying.
Search for multi-change tools online
Ergonomic tools
You can find ergonomic versions of many garden tools, particularly hand tools. Many of these have handles designed to reduce hand and wrist strain, making every day gardening jobs more comfortable to do.
Search for ergonomic garden tools online
General gardening equipment
These items are useful for a wide range of activities.
Gardening gives me solace. I can do gentle things like pruning pot plants by hand and watering. If I wasn't doing that, I’d probably just lay in bed, so it gives me incidental exercise.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Moving things
If items are too heavy don’t be tempted to lift yourself, ask for help. With other smaller items just take your time and don’t rush.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
I use a small sack trolley to move objects.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Digging
Quit and go no-dig, it’s an absolute game changer. Get someone to assist if a plant needs lifting.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
I like to use a root slayer shovel with a thin blade.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Raking
I use a child’s lightweight rake and a kneeler.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Weeding
Less is more! Weed one pot on a table at a time and feel the achievement.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
I find a narrow sharp-edged trowel easier to work with when weeding.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
A kneeling stool is brilliant! It gives support to and from a kneeling position AND provides a mobile seat for when I need to rest.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Watering
I now use a jug to water with as I can’t use a watering can.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
If I’m using a watering can, I water the lower down plants first when the can is full and heavy, then the higher plants once there is less water in the can so it's lighter.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
I use a water butt but also have containers around the garden to collect rain water.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Pruning and deadheading
I use Kimura pruning scissors rather than secateurs. They are lighter, easier and not such a stretch of the hand joints.
Respondent, Thrive gardening and chronic pain survey
Mowing the lawn
Tidying
Compost
It’s always a good idea to do the things you enjoy in the garden. If you would like inspiration for some activities that are less vigorous, find some ideas here.
Seated activities
All of these activities can be done sitting, if this is more comfortable for you:
Lighter physical gardening activities
If you would like to get out and into the garden, the following activities keep you active, but at a gentler pace:
Time in nature
You don’t have to do gardening activities to get the benefits of nature. Sometimes, just spending some time in the natural world may be what you need to feel good. You could try one of these:
Indoor activities
Although there are many benefits of being out in the fresh air, you can also get the enjoyment of gardening indoors. All of these activities are perfect for indoor days:
We all have days where we’re not in the mood for doing much and that’s ok too. The garden and nature will wait patiently and still be there whenever you feel like it.