What common hobby is shared by Madeleine Albright, Goldie Hawn, Russell Crow and thousands of other men and women across the country? The answer may surprise you. It’s knitting, a handicraft that is growing in popularity. Over three-quarters of American households have at least one family member who spends an average of 7.5 hours weekly engaged in some type of craft. Besides the obvious advantage of creating useful articles or garments, knitters also enjoy a host of health benefits both physical and psychological.
Knitting encourages you to immerse yourself in creativity and forget the stress and anxiety of your day. Being actively engaged in a project for which you are passionately interested, allows the brain to steep itself fully in the task. This produces a feeling similar to a runner’s high.
Crafts like knitting engage both your mind and body, and cause optimistic feelings about your life and future. Knitters also tend to be more social and outgoing, especially as they interact with others who share their passion for the art.
Norwegian researcher, Koenraad Cuypers found that people who participated in cultural and art related activities had significantly higher levels of good health and over-all satisfaction than a test group who did not participate. Participants also demonstrated lower levels of anxiety and depression. This phenomenon occurred in both male and female participants, and the benefits were noted for those who enjoyed others art, but even more so in those who created it.
Much like the work required to gain proficiency in any skill, the process of learning to knit helps you feel good about yourself and increases you self esteem. Taking on the challenge of more difficult stitches and patterns, and then mastering them will strengthen your confidence. As with many things in life, success in one area has a tendency to increase the likelihood of success in another.
We live in a day and age where television seems to rule the roost in many households, but studies now show that this brain numbing activity is literally deteriorating our mind and our bodies at an alarming rate. When we replace some of that TV time with activities such as knitting has been proven to lower blood pressure, heart rate, prevent illness and actually lengthen life by two to three years.
If you already knit, then you’re probably enjoying the health benefits of the craft. And if you don’t knit, what’s stopping you?
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