Surprising Health Benefits of Knitting / crocheting/ embroidery
Crocheting / Knitting has its practical uses as well as
being an enjoyable hobby, and if you regularly reach for your wool, you
are probably aware of just how relaxing this age-old pastime can be.
Well, it seems that taking an hour out to work on a nice sweater or
blanket has more benefits for your health than you ever could imagine.
Research has shown that not only does knitting provide plenty of
'textile therapy', but it can have several other positive effects upon
your physical and emotional well-being, some of which are really
surprising...
1. It Performs the Same Function as
Meditation
Once you have learned how to knit/ crochet properly and you are able to work your
needles without actively thinking about what you are doing, the whole
process can be extremely relaxing. The repetitive action creates a
rhythm that's great for clearing the mind and offers many of the same
benefits as a meditation session. And by the time you've finished, you
have the added comfort of crawling under, or into, the nice warm garment
you've crocheted / knitted!
2. It Can Improve Your Motor Skills
The different actions and processes used when you knit are controlled in
separate areas of the brain. This means that a good knitting session
provides a wide-ranging, multi-layered 'work out' for your grey matter.
It will exercise your frontal lobe (responsible for attention, planning
and reward processing), the occipital lobe (tasked with processing
visual information), the temporal lobe (which stores memory), the
parietal lobe (which deals with sensory information and spatial
awareness) and finally the cerebellum (responsible for precise and
deliberate movement).
When your brain sends signals to your nerves and muscles to perform
desired actions, you are working your 'motor skills'. Keeping your motor
skills supple is crucial to your quality of life. The benefits of
knitting in this regard are such that is has been known to help people
with Parkinson's Disease improve their motor skills.
3. It Protects the Long Term Health of Your
Brain
Not only does crocheting/ knitting have benefits for your motor skills, but it also
promotes other forms of brain health. The stimulation of so many
different sections of the brain as you knit/ crochet helps maintain cognitive
function, particularly as you get older. Research by the Mayo Clinic has
found that seniors who regularly knit and/or engage in other artistic
hobbies are around 30-50% less likely to develop 'mild cognitive
impairment' than those who do not.
4. It Can Help Prevent Arthritis and
Tendinitis
If you want your joints to remain healthy, then it's important that you
use them. Moving the joints in your fingers will encourage fluids to
move in and out of surrounding cartilage, keeping your joints well oiled
and reducing the risk of arthritis. Research has shown that joints
lose their structure and can break down if they are not worked
regularly, and knitting/ crocheting is one of the best ways you can keep those
finger joints supple. Soaking your hands in warm water before and after
your session and using larger needles can help this process along.
5. It Fights Anxiety, Stress and even Depression
No matter how hard we try, it is inevitable that we will experience
times of stress and depression at various points in our life. However,
knitting can help you alleviate symptoms in a number of ways. Again, the
'rhythmic' nature of the repetitive motion can distract you from wider
troubles, and provide you with what Clinical Psychologist Ann
Futterman-Collier calls a 'vacation from problems'. The sense of focus
will help keep you present and stop you worrying about the future, while
the gentle nature of the pastime can help regulate your heart rate and
blood pressure too. A couple of hours knitting can be a great tonic if
you feel like the world is getting on top of you!
6. It Gives You a Sense of Focus and Accomplishment
As soon as you start to knit/ crochet that fluffy sweater, or warm blanket, you
set yourself a goal. If you see that goal through, it is likely to
provide you with a great sense of accomplishment and pride, and you
should not underestimate how good that can be for your sense of self and
your emotional well being. Knitting is not only a hobby, it has an end
product too - and whether you present your finished item to a friend or
family member, or simply cozy up underneath it yourself, the feeling of
accomplishment can be great for your mood.
It gives so much satisfaction that you've done it with your own hands. I really feel happy carrying my own crocheted bags, sweaters. I like to have my own unique items. I've crocheted our cushion covers, now I do make animals with crochet, which makes your grandchildren happy, playing with them, making their own stories with the animals!
It gives so much satisfaction that you've done it with your own hands. I really feel happy carrying my own crocheted bags, sweaters. I like to have my own unique items. I've crocheted our cushion covers, now I do make animals with crochet, which makes your grandchildren happy, playing with them, making their own stories with the animals!