What health benefits can you get from being able to knit?

It may seem to you that knitting is something which is a little old-fashioned; but this is not the case. Knitting has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, and there are plenty of cool knitting patterns available for you to try your hand at.

It’s really easy to start learning how to knit. You can ask a friend or relative to give you instructions, or you can find local classes online. Then, all you need to do is buy your yarn and accessories, from a site such as theaussieknittingco.com and you can get started. The really good news is that you could also be improving your health as you knit. Here is how.

Helping with anxiety and depression

When you are busy knitting, you are completely involved with what you are doing. This means that your mind does not wander and start to dwell on worries you may have, or negative thoughts of what might await you in the weeks, months and years to come. If you suffer from high blood pressure, you may also find that the rhythm you develop relaxes you and helps with the reduction of your blood pressure levels.

Dealing with chronic pain issues

Knitting is not a miracle cure for any chronic pain you are suffering from, but it may be of help. You can sit down, pick up your knitting needles, and be transported off into your own world where you are distracted from the pain which is present. The distraction continues when you finish a knitting project and can happily admire the result.

Assistance with food and nicotine cravings

Eating too much and smoking are both bad for your health. It’s often difficult to resist the temptation to eat more chocolate, or smoke another cigarette, not least because you are bored and have nothing better to do with your hands. Knitting is a way of occupying your mind and hands and can help you smoke and eat less.

Reducing the rate of cognitive decline

Knitting is definitely not a cure for conditions such as dementia, but it could help to slow the progression of such conditions. This is because it helps to stimulate the brain by keeping it active and because, if people knit as part of a group they can engage socially with others. Ongoing social engagement is thought to be of help to sufferers of conditions that cause cognitive decline.

If you decide that knitting seems like a good hobby to take up, it should only take a couple of weeks before you can start to produce simple results; if you practice regularly. You also get all of the benefits of the relaxation and enjoyment that you should experience, as well as the potential health benefits we have mentioned. As you become more experienced at knitting, you can start to be more creative. This means that you should end up being able to create some cool knitted items for your friends and family.