The mental benefits of knitting have been discussed for some time now, but did you know that craft has been linked to multiple physical benefits, too?
A new report suggests knitting could even reduce demands on the NHS, because it can lower blood pressure, reduce depression and improve wellbeing.
The Knit for Peace initiative has carried out a review looking at the health benefits of the hobby, especially for the elderly. The organisation also surveyed 1,000 knitters to find out how it had improved their lives.
‘There is a surprisingly large body of research showing the health benefits of knitting,’ the report reveals. ‘What is more surprising is how little known this research is. Our experience suggests however, knitting is not well perceived as a potential preventative and treatment measure.’
The review of previous studies showed that knitting could be an inexpensive way to fight a number of physical and mental conditions. In a 2012 study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that older people who engaged in crafts like knitting and crocheting had a reduced chance of developing mild cognitive impairment and memory loss. And in 2007, research from Harvard Medical School’s Mind and Body Institute proved that knitting induces the relaxation response and lowers the heart rate by an average of 11 beats per minute.
The report found knitting to be as relaxing as yoga and a great opportunity for creativity. It also linked knitting to:
- Reducing depression and anxiety
- Distracting from chronic pain
- Increasing a sense of wellbeing
- Reducing loneliness and isolation
- Increasing sense of usefulness and inclusion in society
Knit for Peace distributes its volunteers’ creations to outlets including hospitals, women’s refuges, refugee drop in centres, prisons, community groups, hospices and developing countries. When surveying its members, 67% of whom are over 60, the organisation found the majority of those in poor or very poor health said knitting improved their health. Additionally, 82% said knitting relaxed them and 65% of said knitting for others made them feel useful.
‘This is a real positive in the context of volunteering in old age, as many volunteering activities such as conservation and community work require a certain level of mobility and health. Knitting can be done at any time, rather than requiring attendance at fixed hours, a flexibility that is important to those who may have “good and bad days”,’ the report explains.
And for those who consider knitting to be a ‘grandmotherly’ activity? ‘Its very accessibility is a benefit, needing little equipment, as are its portability and its flexibility,’ Knit for Peace says. ‘It can be picked up and put down, with little preparation beyond finding a chair, and can be fitted into odd moments between other activities. It involves no clearing up. It can be done whilst watching television or listening to the radio.’
