Top tip
If a task causes difficulty or discomfort, it may help to speak to an Occupational Therapist. They can help you understand why the task is causing pain and suggest changes to reduce the strain.
When you have arthritis, you may feel cautious about doing some gardening activities. Follow our advice so you can enjoy time in the garden.
- Gardening is a great form of exercise, where you can do ‘little and often’ to keep your joints mobile
- Tending to a garden and watching it grow can be hugely beneficial for your mental health. There is the optimism of planning and planting for the future
- Spending time in nature, with the world around you filling your senses
- Connecting with others through gardening. This could be through sharing flowers and vegetables or by joining a community group
Two people potting on at table height
The UK is a nation of gardeners. A 2023 HTA survey found 78% of adults have access to a private garden and 62% use these gardens to grow plants, trees and flowers.
There are also many people across the nation with some form of arthritis. It’s thought the number of people with osteoarthritis alone is around 10 million.
It is, then, no surprise that there is a considerable overlap between the two. People living with arthritis often ask about how gardening can affect their condition. Can it help, or could it make it worse?
We look at the current medical advice when it comes to gardening with arthritis.
Can gardening help arthritis?
Gardening can offer a form of exercise. This can be an important way of treating some forms of arthritis.
I find gardening good for me at my stage with osteoarthritis. I feel good after … the more physical elements help with my mobility.
Gardener with arthritis
Osteoarthritis is by far the most common form of arthritis. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published guidance on osteoarthritis management. They suggest it should include therapeutic exercise. The advice says regular and consistent exercise may initially cause discomfort. Even so, it will be beneficial for joints.
A Report in The Times looked into NHS guidance on arthritis. It highlighted how increased exercise and decreased painkiller prescriptions could save the NHS billions of pounds.
Dr Wendy Holden, Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist and Medical Advisor for Arthritis Action says "Whatever type of arthritis you have, staying active, keeping your joints moving and looking after your sleep and mental wellbeing are all vital to help beat pain. Gardening is ideal for the joints as it is exercise in the fresh air, relaxing and satisfying."
It is always worth consulting with a specialist on what is right for you with your specific type of arthritis.
Gardening is ideal for the joints as it is exercise in the fresh air, relaxing and satisfying.
Dr Wendy Holden, Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist
Can gardening make arthritis worse?
There isn’t evidence that gardening accelerates the progression of arthritis. An observational study published in Clinical Rheumatology in 2024 found that gardening was not associated with knee osteoarthritis progression, so should not be discouraged.
For people living with arthritis, some gardening activities can lead to pain. Good technique, doing little and often and appropriate tools are important for continued enjoyment.
Can gardening cause arthritis?
There are many forms of arthritis and multiple causes. Some important factors are thought to be genetics, gender, age and injury. In some cases, lifestyle can be a contributing factor, including being overweight.
There is no evidence that any exercise, including gardening, causes arthritis. Gardening can provide a good form of exercise. Some activities burn calories and strengthen muscles. For many, gardening is more likely to be a help.
Do what you can to get into nature. If you can’t, bring it inside with pot plants. Growing things gives you a sense of achievement … enjoy the experience.
Gardener with arthritis
A man gardening while sitting on a stool
If you have arthritis, you don’t need to completely overhaul your garden. But, there are some changes you could put in place so looking after your garden is easier to do.
Read our guide to creating an arthritis friendly garden. This includes advice around garden layout, ways of gardening and plant choice.
Go out into the garden the minute you feel like it. Leave the housework or cooking for another time.
Gardener with arthritis
Two people pruning a tree
Whether you are an experienced gardener or are just getting started, if you have arthritis there are a few important things to think about. This can help make gardening more accessible and enjoyable.
1. Have the right equipment
There is equipment that can help reduce pain or strain. This ranges from adapted lightweight tools to good gardening gloves. Find suggested tools within the tips for gardening activities section below.
Wherever possible, try holding equipment before you buy.
2. Plan well before gardening
Gather all the equipment you need for any task and carry it to where you are working. Some people find a two-wheeled wheelbarrow most comfortable to push around.
Getting your body ready can be as important as gathering your tools. Some people living with arthritis swear by stretching every morning. This can incorporate mobility exercises and yoga-based stretches. You may want to consult with a physiotherapist for the best stretches for your form of arthritis.
Your tip
"I stretch for 25 minutes each morning. My routine includes hand and finger mobility to help my grip and shoulder exercises."
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
3. Switch between different gardening tasks
Try not to do any one task for too long. When you do change activity, try and vary between more physical and gentle activities. Take a complete rest if needed.
4. Avoid heavy lifting
Some items can be very heavy. Look at ways to reduce the strain or avoid lifting. With compost, for example, you could buy a larger number of smaller bags or use lightweight expanding compost bricks. Pot trolleys allow you to wheel pots and containers. Or, you could ask for help.
Our guide to moving things in the garden has even more tips.
5. Do little and often
Getting carried away is a common problem when gardening! Don’t worry if you don’t get it all done. Your garden will always wait for another day.
Your tip
"Do it at your own pace. One day is different from another, so take each day as it comes."
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
6. Break activities into smaller tasks
If you have a bigger gardening activity to do, you can break it down into smaller steps or sections and just enjoy doing one bit at a time.
For example, if you are hoping to plant a lot of bulbs, you could just take it a pot at a time before pausing. You can congratulate yourself for each step achieved!
7. Seek help where needed
Find a willing helper or pay for a professional to help with certain tricky jobs. This will free up your time and energy for the tasks you most enjoy and that cause least strain.
I take longer to do things. I have to ask for help with the tough jobs.
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
8. Be weather aware
For many living with arthritis, cold or wet weather conditions can cause flare ups. In winter in particular, you may want to reduce time in the garden. The garden won't mind if you do! Seed heads look attractive unpruned. Hibernating wildlife will love piles of logs and leaves.
If you want to get the benefits of nature when the weather is bad, there are lots of ideas for things to do indoors, such as:
- Make garden plans for spring
- Grow and care for houseplants
- Sow seeds in trays and enjoy watching them germinate on a sunny windowsill
- Be creatively inspired by nature. You could write a nature poem, or short story
- Enjoy the view from your window. If you have something of interest in your view, like a bird feeder, you may be rewarded with the movement of nature
- Watch a live nature webcam. Visit the Wildlife Kate website to find a selection.
Your tip
"I only garden when the weather is not cold … the cold eats into my knees. Spring, summer and autumn I love gardening. It is the only thing that makes me forget I am in pain."
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
An ergonomic hand fork with arm support used in a flower bed
You can make many gardening activities more comfortable with some changes to technique or the right tools for you.
Please be aware, we do not recommend specific models of tool, as what is best for you as an individual can vary. We do suggest the types of tool that may make gardening activities easier along with links to view them 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 a number of every day gardening jobs more comfortable to do.
Search for ergonomic garden tools online
Multi-change tools
Multi-change tools give you a choice of handle lengths. You can then change the tool head for different jobs. It is worth checking you are comfortably able to switch the heads around before buying.
Search for multi-change tools online
Long-handled tools
To limit bending, you may find long-handled versions of tools easier to use. Try to hold them before buying to check the length and weight is suitable.
Your tip
"Use a long-handled tool with interchangeable heads or long individual tools."
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
General gardening
Some of these items may be helpful for almost any gardening activities.
- Good quality, stretchy gardening gloves
- Hand or wrist splints. Always consult with an Occupational Therapist for their specific recommendation for you
- Rubber gardening tool handle grips
- Heater with thermostat. Helps control temperature if gardening in a greenhouse
Your tip
"I am less willing to go out in cold wet weather now that those conditions negatively impact my pain and mobility levels, but I have good waterproof ski trousers that have make a huge positive difference!”
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
Moving things
- Reduce strain when moving things with a two-wheeled wheelbarrow. This is more stable than a one-wheeled version
- A garden cart with seat is a specialist wheeled item with dual use. It allows you to load up with tools, then work from a seated position
Carrying items
A person resting a piece of turf on their forearms
- Picking up items by your fingers can be uncomfortable. When carrying lighter equipment, such as a seed tray or a piece of turf, rest it on your forearms and hands. Keep your elbows tucked in to reduce strain.
- Lightweight expanding compost bricks save carrying heavy bags of compost
Digging
- As digging can be a very physical task, you may decide to get help with it if it causes too much strain.
- If you want to reduce the need for digging, you may want to look into the no dig method. There is plenty of information, including FAQs, on Charles Dowding’s website.
- If you do feel happy to dig, find a spade that is comfortable to use. You may find a lightweight long-handled spade easiest to use.
- A back saving tool grip can be attached to any long-handled tool to reduce bending required.
- A soil miller is a tool with star-shaped wheels. It can help break the soil down into a fine tilth.
- Keeping your soil in good condition will also make digging easier. Add a layer of mulch (garden compost or well-rotted manure) in the autumn.
- Avoid digging when the ground is very dry in summer, or frozen in winter
Weeding
Weeding is a frequent activity that can potentially require a lot of bending. To make it easier to do:
- Look at ways to limit weed growth. Adding a thick layer of mulch once or twice a year can limit weed growth as well as improving soil quality. Growing wanted ground cover plants can also reduce the number of weeds
- You may decide to reconsider what you think is a weed. In the lawn, for example, you may decide to let dandelions and other flowers grow
- When weeding in borders, a long-handled push-pull hoe is the lowest effort
- If you decide to weed your lawn, a long-handled weed puller can help reduce bending
- If you have shingle or gravel areas, tackling weeds can be tricky. You could use an electric weed burner, which can tackle stubborn weeds. Or, you could choose to grow a plant like creeping thyme that will overpower the weeds and produce a beautiful scent
- If you want to kneel and weed, you may want to use a kneeler seat with handles. This takes the pressure off your joints. Be conscious of not sitting down for too long
Your tip
"Use a little stool to sit on rather than bend down if your knees hurt."
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
Sowing seeds
Sowing seeds in containers and borders can require dexterity and bending. To make it easier:
- A long-handled rolling small seed sower is helpful when sowing small seeds outside. You can use it to place seeds in drills without bending.
- For larger seeds, you could use a long tube and drop them down this into the drill. Find more advice in our guide to direct seed sowing in drills.
- A long-handled bulb planter is useful to dig holes for bulbs and smaller plants. You may find it easier than a spade or trowel. The long-handled version will help reduce bending
Watering
A person waters using a lightweight plastic watering can
There are lots of ways to reduce how often you water and how much effort it takes.
- Place containers together so you can water in one location
- Choose low maintenance plants that need less watering
- You may find an expandable lightweight hose easy to use. It pulls into position and springs back into place
- If you place Water butt(s) and standpipes at convenient spots around the garden, this can help reduce how far you need to walk to collect water
- A watering lance is useful for reaching hanging baskets or wide beds and borders without strain
- If you are using a watering can, you may prefer to use a smaller, plastic model. You could fill it half full each time to avoid strain (this will in turn mean making slightly more trips)
Read our guide to watering for more advice.
Your tip
"When I water my allotment, I use a plastic watering can and only fill it half way each time. This makes it easier for me."
- Arthritis group member
Pruning
Pruning involves a repetitive squeezing motion. This can become painful for joints over time.
- With pruning, always plan to do little and often instead of needing to prune everything at once
- Loppers are good for pruning larger stems. They are operated with two hands, so some people find them easier than secateurs
- Pruners or secateurs with a ‘cut and hold’ action keep hold of the cut material, which means you don’t need to pick it up from the ground
- Trimming shears are useful for light trimming jobs
- A cordless hedge trimmer is good for large areas of hedge trimming. Avoid using hedge trimmers above head height as this can increase the risk of injury. Lightweight long-reach / telescopic versions are available if you need to trim at height.
- A litter picker can reduce bending when picking things up
Read our guide to pruning for more advice.
Mowing and edging the lawn
A robot lawn mower going across a green lawn
- Lightweight electric or cordless lawnmowers are lighter than petrol versions. If you have a smaller lawn, a cordless lawnmower avoids the trip hazard that comes with an electric corded version
- The technology with robot lawn mowers has improved considerably. They can now produce a decent all over mow on small or medium lawns. Some versions are able to tackle slopes
- There can be a considerable weight difference between edging shears. You might prefer to look for lightweight edging shears – find out the weight before purchasing and try to hold first if possible
- A grass strimmer allows you to edge the lawn from a standing position. Most strimmer models work using a string line. Changing the spool line can be fiddly. This may make it impractical if you need to strim a large area. You can find some models that use plastic blades instead of line. You could also opt for lightweight edging shears instead. Or, if using all across your lawn, you may want to consider a lightweight or robot lawn mower.
- You can reduce the weight of your lawnmower. Take the clippings bag off and let the grass rot down naturally instead of collecting it.
Read more in our guide to mowing the lawn.
Tidying
- Use a litter picker or long-handled grabbers to pick up weeds and other debris and place in a bucket or bag.
Your tip
"After my hip operation the hospital gave me a reach grabber tool to help with dressing. I now use it in the garden to pick up leaves and weeds."
- Survey respondent, gardener with arthritis
With thanks
To Dr Wendy Holden for reviewing the advice on this page. Dr Holden is an Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Medical Advisor for Arthritis Action
Advice last reviewed: October 2024
Written in collaboration with
Arthritis Action
Arthritis Action
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Creating an arthritis friendly garden
If you have arthritis, you don’t need to completely overhaul your garden. There are some changes you could make so it is easier to look after your garden.
