Knitting Therapy: Why Is Knitting Good For Your Health?

Knit. It is possible, that reading this word, you have in mind an old woman who knits a sweater for a loved one… Nothing is further from reality.

Today, knitting has become a social phenomenon thanks to which it is possible to obtain great benefits for physical and mental health.

In this article, we invite you to discover all that this traditional, original and magical hobby can bring you.

Are you ready to grab the knitting needles?

Why is knitting so good for our brain?

A stitch to the left, a stitch to the right, I choose wool of such and such a color, I pass it over …

Knitting is not easy and cannot be learned in a matter of seconds. It requires rhythm, mental agility and a lot of hand activity.

Knitting not only gives us the satisfaction of making a multicolored scarf, a sweater that we want to give to our partner, or that original bag that no one has.

This is a social phenomenon that many call “ knitting therapy”. In other words, exercise with countless health benefits.

Knitting is highly recommended for all groups: large, small, young, old, men, women, children with behavioral problems or disabled, stressed people… Everyone is concerned!

1. We exercise both cerebral hemispheres

The simple act of passing the wool through one needle and then another greatly improves our brain coordination.

If we add to this the greater or lesser complexity of the garment we are making, the mental skill will develop even more rhythm and coordination.

While it might surprise you, knitting is truly a therapeutic activity for anyone.

It has also been verified that children with mental health problems are in better shape when they are forced to focus their attention on an activity.

So teach knitting to the youngest children to knit. It is indeed not an activity that belongs exclusively to grandmothers!

2. It reduces stress

Many people get together to knit, in parks for example.

They sit down on a bench, pull out their colorful wools, their knitting needles, and get down to work.

They relax by chatting or simply by focusing on their activity, which allows them to put their problems and worries into perspective.

Knit relaxed. Mere manual activity and focusing on that task opens the doors to a state of tranquility, which benefits people who are going through episodes of stress or anxiety.

3. Knitting improves our morale

As we said before, many people have a habit of getting together to knit together and chat quietly.

It encourages sociability, as we make new friendships, bond, etc.

However, you don’t have to leave your home to knit.

When we are alone, we also enjoy the silence of our thoughts, while increasing the dose of endorphins capable of relaxing us and giving us a great sense of well-being.

4. Knitting improves our manual motor skills

You have surely already observed the grandmothers knitting, with their agile hands, and an extraordinary manual sense.

Maybe they have osteoarthritis, or they suffer from carpal tunnel, but yet their fingers and hands have great agility.

Knitting forces us to keep our hands moving and to prevent them from becoming too rigid.

It is worth doing this healthy exercise, at least an hour a day. In this way, the suffering caused by arthritis, for example, can ease a little.

In addition, in the case of children, knitting has been shown to improve motor skills. Indeed, this activity helps them to improve their writing and to be more skillful.

5. Knitting promotes self-esteem

How can something as simple as knitting improve our morale?

Knitting is not only a hobby, but also involves setting a goal, such as finding the model of that sweater, or that jacket that will be in fashion next fall.

Succeeding in making a garment can be truly rewarding and allows you to set a goal and stick to it.

Plus, knitting creates the simple pleasure of giving something that took a long time to someone we love.

It is more than a gift, because we offer our time, our imagination, our sense of art and our feelings, inscribed in every inch of wool.

Knitting is no longer an ancient art of grandmothers, because it unites the generations and represents a heritage with great therapeutic benefits.

In our articles, we often talk about the benefits of walking (half an hour a day), drinking a glass of lukewarm lemon water every morning, etc.

Today we invite you to put into practice a new recommendation: start knitting today!