How to Access Nature When You Live With Pain & Disability

Updated 04.07.25

Even in busy towns and cities, nature is all around us - a tree outside the window, birdsong at dawn, the shifting colours of the sky. But how often do we truly notice these moments, or feel a sense of connection?

From both anecdotal accounts and academic studies, we're learning that nature is far more than a 'nice to have' - it's something many people living with pain, illness or disability return to again and again for relief, connection, and support.

A recent UK study explored this idea, sparking a wave of thoughtful, honest reflections in our online mindfulness community.

In this blog, we share key insights from the research, along with community reflections from members our free Community of Practice. Together, they reveal the benefits people experience, the barriers that can get in the way, and the creative ways individuals with pain and disability stay connected to nature, even when getting outside is difficult.

New research highlights nature's role in pain management

A recent UK study, led by researchers at the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter, looked at how people with long-term pain engage with nature.

The team interviewed ten individuals living with chronic low back pain, ranging from five to 38 years. They explored how nature featured in their daily lives and how it influenced their experience of pain.The findings revealed that time in nature can help people feel calmer, less stressed, and more connected. Here's a few examples of how people found relief: 

I think [chronic low back pain] can bring you down and you can just switch off from the world, and don’t wanna communicate with anyone. Don’t wanna be connected at all. So, I think going in the garden does give me that little lift, to keep connected to the world really.

[Study Participant]

[Nature] helps my mood. If I’m struggling with the pain or for whatever reason I’m not feeling very positive, if I can get out and about in the countryside and get some fresh air… it does make me feel better mentally… it must help with the pain in turn.

[Study Participant]

However, the conversations also highlighted something else: a lack of accessibility to green spaces.

The issues raised in this study resonated deeply with us at Breathworks. We took to our free online mindfulness platform, the Community of Practice, to ask members about their perceived benefits of nature, as well as what stops them from freely accessing it.

Barriers to accessing nature... and what helps

Reading both the interviews with study participants and comments from members of our Community of Practice, four common barriers to accessing nature emerged; severity of symptoms; adapting to new abilities; the need to plan; and our thoughts and habits. We share further details below, as well as how people are working with these challenges.

Severity of pain and fatigue

One of the most common barriers was simply feeling too exhausted, sore, or overwhelmed. Even when people felt able to get out in the first place, they would be fearful about how they would cope, or be aware that a symptom flare-up would follow. Not everyone is able to leave the house, or even their bed, and so some found other ways of bringing the outside in.

I have to think about whether I can actually do something. Whether it’s worth doing it to be in the pain afterwards.

[Study Participant]

I've been pretty tired lately and I find so much comfort in my garden then. It's so important to realise that going out into nature doesn't have to be a big event. Just looking at branches in the wind from inside my car or house makes me feel connected to nature.

[Community Member]

I’ve been bed bound on a number of occasions, during that time I watched clouds everyday, minute  by second the clouds change, so nothing is repeated.

[Community Member]

Changed Abilities and Grief

Many people shared the sense of loss that comes with no longer being able to engage with nature in the ways they once loved. Long walks or mountain adventures were no longer an option and this shift was often accompanied by grief, frustration or a feeling of disconnection. Whilst these feelings were important to honour, people also began to find new ways to connect with nature, and that this could still have a positive impact.

I've lost the ability to do the hill walking I loved. Adapting, accepting and changing perspective is part of it.

[Community Member]

Sometimes our thoughts can be a barrier, too. When I was younger and fitter, I loved long walks with my dogs in lonely places. I can't do that any more and it's easy to give up. 'I can't do what I so much enjoyed ' can get in the way.

[Community Member]

I miss long walks in the mountains or countryside as I find traveling to get there tiring. But I’ve started doing short bike rides from my house. We’ve an old railway line now and a greenway cycle path just behind the housing estate with leafy green bushes and hedgerows and views over the town in places. It makes me happy.

[Community Member]

Amount of planning required

Many natural spaces still aren’t accessible, particularly for people using wheelchairs or scooters. Uneven ground, steep inclines, lack of benches, and locked gates can make places feel unsafe or simply not worth the risk. Some participants shared how discouraging it felt to not know if they’d be able to manage once they arrived, and noted the thorough planning that trips out required.

I have to know that wherever I’m going, there’s somewhere I can sit down, and I’ve got enough time to rest before I have to walk again.

[Study Participant]

You can look [accessibility information] up online, but it's not always accurate. We've had wheelchair walks that have been both a pleasant surprise and the opposite.

[Community Member]

[Planning even comes] down to making sure the wheelchair’s got some battery in it, that I’m not going to run out of charge. That I’ve got medication, I’ve got water, I’ve got a blanket in case it turns cold.

[Study Participant]

Our Thoughts and Habits

It wasn’t just external challenges. One community member pointed out that the biggest barrier can sometimes be a mental one. Sometimes falling into “doing mode” and forgetting to pause. Sometimes the fear of what could go wrong. Several people said that setting an intention - even just to sit outside for a few minutes each day - helped them stay connected.

“Getting stuck in doing mode is my biggest barrier to being in nature! So I set myself the intention to spend some quality time in the garden every morning with a good cup of fresh coffee and sometimes a chocolate biscuit or cake. 

Sitting in the garden practicing mindfulness in the morning has become a routine for me now. It’s so nourishing and sets me up for the day ahead.

[Community Member]

[Pain] affects your want to go and [be in nature]. Normally I would be like, 'I’m just going to go for a walk'. Now you feel like your subconscious is going, ‘maybe you shouldn’t though, maybe you should just stay at home, because then it’s safe.'

[Study Participant]

A resource to help you connect with nature 🌿

We hope this blog has offered some reassurance or fresh ideas for connecting with nature — in ways that feel possible for you, whatever your circumstances.

If you feel drawn to explore this connection more deeply, Nature’s Mindful Path is a gentle, self-paced course that might support you. Across seven lessons, you’ll explore the five natural elements — Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space — as pathways into mindfulness. Each lesson includes a short video, guided meditation, and space for reflection, with optional extras if you want to dive deeper. Some people complete the course in a week; others take their time.

The course is designed to meet you where you are — whether you’re mostly indoors or able to spend time outside.

Price: £49, with lifetime access to the materials

Learn more about the course here

Additional Resources

📖 Full research study from Exeter & Plymouth universities
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)00667-4/fulltext

🐼 Accessible activity recommendations from the WWF
https://www.wwf.org.uk/prescription-for-nature/accessible-activities

♿️ Guide to accessible days out in the UK
https://access.great-days-out.co.uk/parks-gardens/