Wool Therapy: Benefits Of Hand Knitting
Knit by hand. It is possible that, when you read these words, the classic older woman sitting knitting wool and making a nice sweater for a family member comes to mind. Nothing is further from reality.
Today, knitting has become a social phenomenon from which we can obtain great benefits for our physical and mental health.
Today in our space we want to invite you to know everything that this traditional, original and magical trade can do for you at the same time.
Do you dare to take the needles?
Why is knitting by hand so good for our brain?
One point to the left, one point to the right, I take the wool of this color, I pass it over the top …
Knitting by hand is not something exactly simple nor is it learned in a second.
It requires rhythm, it requires mental agility, and in turn, it requires our hands to be active at all times.
Not only does it give us the satisfaction of seeing that multicolored scarf finished, or that sweater to give to your partner, or that original bag that no one else will have the same.
Knitting by hand is today a social phenomenon that many already label as “wool therapy”.
In other words, an exercise with innumerable health benefits.
Large, small, young, elderly, men, women, children with behavior or motor problems, people with stress …
We invite you to know all the information.
1. We exercise both cerebral hemispheres
As this study by Gaziantep University suggests, the simple act of passing wool through one needle and then through another greatly improves our brain coordination.
If we add to this the greater or lesser complexity of the fabric that we are making, mental dexterity will further enhance said rhythm and coordination.
Although it may surprise us, knitting is really therapeutic for anyone who, for example, has a motor problem or is in the process of learning.
Do not hesitate! Also teach the little ones at home to knit by hand, it is no longer a thing of our grandmothers.
2. Reduce stress
There are many people who tend to meet in the parks lately to knit by hand.
They sit on a bench, take out their colored yarns, their needles, and go about their work while relaxing by talking or simply focusing on the activity while relativizing their problems and worries.
Weaving relaxes, according to this study carried out by the University of Medical Sciences of Cienfuegos (Cuba). The simple manual activity and paying attention to the task opens the doors to a state of calm that brings benefits to people who are going through processes of stress or anxiety.
3. Knitting improves our mood
As we have already mentioned before, many people usually get together to knit and talk to each other while they carry out this interesting task.
We promote sociability, we start new friendships, we socialize …
However, you don’t have to leave the house to knit by hand either. Being alone we also enjoy and savor the silence of our thoughts.
4. Improve our manual motor skills
Surely you have ever been struck by seeing our grandmothers knit with those agile hands.
They may have osteoarthritis, they may suffer from annoying carpal tunnel, and yet they move their fingers and hands naturally.
The exercise of knitting forces us to keep our hands in motion and to prevent them from becoming stiff or rigid.
Moving them warms them up, making the pain lighter and less noticeable.
It is worth practicing this healthy exercise, at least, for an hour a day.
That way, suffering from arthritis, for example, can be softened a bit. This is suggested by this study carried out by the University of Ottawa.
5. Knitting raises our self-esteem
Does it surprise you? How can something as simple as hand knitting improve our mood so much?
Knitting is not just a hobby, knitting implies a goal: to get those gloves, that sweater, that cardigan that is so fashionable this fall.
Finally getting that piece of clothing can be something truly rewarding, it is to set a goal and achieve it.
Then there is the simple pleasure of giving someone we appreciate that piece of wool that has cost us so many hours to make.
It is more than a gift: we offer our invested time, our imagination, our art and all those feelings inscribed in every inch woven.
Do not hesitate, knitting is no longer just an old-fashioned art of our grandmothers.
Weaving unites generations and is a legacy with great therapeutic benefits.
Sometimes, we talk to you, for example, about how healthy it is to walk half an hour a day, or to drink a glass of warm water with lemon.
Today, we invite you to put into practice a new recommendation: Start knitting today!
