Gardening, Yardwork Tied to Better Knee Health

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Participating in gardening or yardwork may be tied to better knee health, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in Clinical Rheumatology.Grace H. Lo, M.D., from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues evaluated the relationship of lifetime gardening/yardwork with the prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. The analysis included 2,607 participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative community-based cohort.The researchers found that 64 percent participated in gardening/yardwork at some time in their lives. For those who participated in the activity, the adjusted odds ratios of frequent knee pain, radiographic osteoarthritis (ROA), and symptomatic ROA were 0.71, 0.75, and 0.71, respectively, compared with those who did not participate."This is an activity that has longevity to it, and people stick with it once they start," Lo said in a statement. "Even better now, we can see that it looks like it's beneficial from an osteoarthritis perspective."One author disclosed ties to the biotechnology industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Gardening, Yardwork Tied to Better Knee Health

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