Knitting tends to be known as an activity for granny while actually any age of people can enjoy the activity even get many health benefits. Both to make scarf and pattern, doing knitting related to the improving of mental as well as physical health. Furthermore, it cost not too much money with simple steps and doesn’t take many places.
Mental health centered in brain or it belongs to the function of brain. Knitting is an activity that improve any part of brain function — the frontal lobe (for processing, attention and planning), the parietal lobe (for sensory information and spatial navigation), the occipital lobe (for visual information), the temporal lobe (for storing memories and interpreting language and meaning) and the cerebellum (precision and timing of movement).
Due to benefits, it also supports for physical health like relieves pain. So, the other health benefits of knitting are:
- Increases cognitive function
Knitting is a kind activity where the person needs to visualize how the result of products will look like. Unconsciously, it trains the function of motor cortex, frontal and occipital lobes. As the result, it can lead to strong mind and the reducing of cognitive impairment.
- Enhances memory
For some reason, knitting and learning bike are similar because both two things need regularly practice and dedication to improve the skill. Even the person who is expert of doing knitting can do some mistakes. The trial-and-error in knitting tends to be saved in the memory so it will make the person think of strategy to do in the future as the prevention of the same errors.
- Acts as stress relief
Stress can drain the energy on something that is unnecessary while doing knitting will take the worries away and turn them into useful thing. Knitting has been known as one of elements of therapy that can relieve stress effectively because it makes the person to focus instead of keep the cycle of stress.
- Increases concentration
Knitting helps to slow down hyperactivity as well as helps those who are having difficulty to focus on something. It makes the person to work on tangible thing by shifting the focus to the moment that is happening. The desire of seeing the progress immediately even promotes the concentration to increases more.
- Makes more connections
Join local groups can improve social connections including for the group of knitting. The community of knitter will encourage the hobby to a social medium. It can make you have more experiences moreover friends that will support for mental health. In addition, it also tends to increase more of confidence.
- Provides sense of purpose
Some people are probably with the personality of goal-driven and they are suitable to do knitting during their leisure time. When the project is success, in the case of knitting, it appears a signal that makes dopamine active, moreover it stimulates the center of reward. The feeling is as same as the feeling after put the last jigsaw puzzle piece down.
- Builds good habits
Instead of doing fidgeting, smoking, and compulsive actions, there are still many activities that are useful for overall health like knitting, or you can also read health benefits of blood donation regularly. While you are busy of knitting, then the time you take to knit will avoid you from doing things that detrimental the health.
- Removes a digital detox
Nowadays the world is full of technology that glued us to digital devices while it synthesizes our activities rather than doing real things. Knitting is one of a simple and useful way to make ourselves slightly away from technology. It reduces the strain of eyes from artificial lights and lead to the appreciation of time.
- Strengthens upper limbs
Since knitting is not a competition, so you can choose the work space as well as the time you want and take the activity as a healthy habits, or you can also read health benefits of a clean house. That rhythmic action actually can prevent you from the risk of arthritis and tendinitis. Small knitting intervals will train the arms and hands because exerting excessive force can probably lead to the damages of musculoskeletal.
- Cultivates personal communication
Doing knitting means you are having the power of choice. The goals you set are according to your preferences, that provide the sense of controlling “me time.”. However, often doing “me time” probably establishes the individual quality as well as the ability in doing the activity in leisure time just like sport.
There are still more of health benefits of knitting while they are almost as same as other healthy activities or you can read in benefits of physical activity for mental health, benefits recreational activities mental health and benefits of writing.