8 Smart Tools That Make Gardening Less of a Pain

Gardening seems like it should be a leisurely, relaxing activity, but if you've spent any time pulling weeds, composting soil, or harvesting, you know it can be more like a full-body workout. And, that can mean sore muscles the next day—for anyone. But if you're already prone to aches and swelling, like the 1.3 million adults with rheumatoid arthritis (a type of arthritis that causes joint inflammation), even light gardening like watering flowers can be a struggle. The answer isn't to toss out your trowel and find a new hobby, but to strategize on tools and techniques that will ease the strain. Modifying activities to make them more tolerable helps people from getting discouraged and keeps them active according to William S. Raoofi, MD, a board-certified pain management specialist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.

This is key because staying active is “crucial” when you have chronic pain, says Medhat Mikhael, MD, a pain management specialist and medical director of the non-operative program at the Spine Health Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. Particularly with rheumatoid arthritis, regular movement helps strengthen muscles to support and protect joints. It can also boost your mood—never a bad thing—by distracting you from pain, as Dr. Mikhael notes.

And yes, gardening counts! “Staying active does not have to mean running marathons or lifting heavy weights,” says Robert D. Jongco, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. So mulching, weeding, and planting seedlings helps you flex your green thumb and your actual thumb (and the rest of your joints).

The key is to find the right tools to make the experience easier on you. Pain management experts swear these gardening and home tools can help you get outdoors—and be comfortable doing it—much more often.