Take Up Knitting ... it may help protect your brain against aging
How Knitting Can Benefit Your Health.
As part of its 'This Is Your Brain series' CNN took a look at the effect knitting and other craft making can have on a person's health. Findings suggest that making woolen creations can help to ease anxiety.
"There's promising evidence coming out to support what a lot of crafters have known anecdotally for quite some time," says Catherine Carey Levisay, a clinical neuropsychologist and wife of Craftsy.com CEO John Levisay. "And that's that creating - whether it be through art, music, cooking, quilting, sewing, drawing, photography, cake decorating - is beneficial to us in a number of important ways."
Knitting has been named a "natural anti-depressant" in CNN's report, as crafters receive a surge of dopamine while their hands work.
CNN discuss one study of more than 3,500 knitters, published in The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, where 81% of respondents with depression reported feeling happy after knitting. More than half reported feeling "very happy."
The benefits of knitting isn't a new topic among psychologists. At a TED talk in 2004, psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi noted then when a person is completely absorbed by an activity, nothing else seems to matter.
"When we are involved in (creativity), we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life," Csikszentmihalyi said. "You know that what you need to do is possible to do, even though difficult, and sense of time disappears. You forget yourself. You feel part of something larger."
Studies have found intellectually stimulating activities can help prevent cerebral atrophy and significantly delay dementia.
Knitting stimulates many different areas of the brain including memory and attention span while involving your visuospatial processing, creative side and problem-solving abilities - therefore the pastime could also help protect your brain against aging.
"Studies have found intellectually stimulating activities can help prevent cerebral atrophy and significantly delay dementia.
Knitting stimulates many different areas of the brain including memory and attention span while involving your visuospatial processing, creative side and problem-solving abilities - therefore the pastime could also help protect your brain against aging."
The above article taken from here
I think anything we can do to help protect our brain against aging is helpful. Of course we do have to get old .. that is nature .. but perhaps we could do more to help ourselves, and our brain, stay as active as possible. Whether it be going out for a refreshing walk, or when indoors taking up, or doing some knitting, or perhaps crocheting....it is good to keep the mind active. Of course some may prefer doing a crossword puzzle ... the choice is yours!
~ cute Christmas/Winter figures ~
All the best Jan
32 comments:
Another benefit of knitting is you get some personal and unique item when you finish. :) I'm glad to read this as I enjoy knitting. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. hugs-Erika
My mom would knit a lot in her later years, good to know the benefits.
...I think that I would be too clumsy.
Oh, I love knitting! It's is so relaxing.
Gracias por el consejo pero no soy para nada habil Te mando un beso.
I started to knit and crochet when I was very ill. It helped to keep me sane when I couldn’t do much at all
Sometimes all I could manage was a few stitches of crochet and then id have to rest.
It was the only thing that kept me going. And now many years later I’m still creating with yarn. It helps to keep that black dog away
Interesting what's written Jan.
Crochet is what I do but not at the moment.
I do try and keep my brain active, but sadly my shaky hands means that craft work is difficult.
Good to know, thank you!
My knitting basket will come off the shelf.
I have just, literally this weekend, taken up knitting again. All it's doing so far is causing me frustration lol
I agree completely, knitting and crochet has got me through so many stressful situations ion my life.
I agree with you about exercising the brain as well as the body.
It is good to keep your brain active, but my hands hurt doing common things.
The little figures are so cute.
Take care, have a wonderful week!
Never did learn to knit...crochet, instead.
hugs
Donna
Nice entrance, it reminds me of times of my childhood, my mother liked to knit and she would put me with open arms holding the yarn while she made the ball, other times,
That is slowly disappearing.
Best regards.
Right. In fact, any craft work is beneficial to health.
Knitting is fun, unless you have arthritis in your hands. :-(
Knitting is fun! Hugs, Valerie
Oh how I used to love kniting and crocheting! My eyes aren't that good anymore and I get headaches now if I try.
They taught us to knit in middle school, which tells you how old I am, I'm sure they don't do that any more. I hated it, but managed to knit a pair of socks, and believe it or not, I brought these socks with me to America so I guess I was proud of my accomplishment. Now I crochet and enjoy that a lot. I hope that's good for my brain too.
I learned how to knit when I was a kid and have enjoyed knitting all my life. :)
Bom domingo e bom início de semana. Não sabia dessa função do tricô, dica interessante.
This is interesting
This is great.
I so agree with this so much, I can be very stressed and then I will go into my craft room and I feel so much better, it can totally take my mind off of everything else.
i am so glad i did not miss this!! as you know, i am crazy hooked on knitting. it has become a really big part of my life!!
I enjoy sewing and knitting. Yes, it helps lift the stress, thank you for sharing this post.
I can vouch for that. I can't knit much anymore but I always loved it!
Needless to say, I completely agree :-) I have a pair of Christmas socks on my needles--just about finished.
What an interesting post!xxx
Hace años tejía bastante, luego bordaba y ahora lo tengo abandonado, pero me gusta mucho. Besos.
My mother knitted.
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