[Nfb-krafters-korner] Health benefits of knitting

Fri Sep 26 17:49:45 UTC 2014

The rhythmic movements of knitting offer many of the same kinds of benefits
as meditation,

says Carrie Barron, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at
Columbia University

in New York. (Bigstock)

By Amanda Mascarelli

April 21

When I picked up knitting needles for the first time about two years ago, I
couldn't

have imagined how vital the hobby would become to my well-being. Learning to
knit

was hard for me, but once I mastered it, the craft became addictive, in a
good way:

It calmed me and helped me to write and to deal with the frustrations of
motherhood.

Crafters have long recognized the therapeutic value of activities such as
knitting

and crocheting. (A

2013 survey

of more than 3,500 knitters worldwide, for example, found that 81.5 percent
of respondents

rated themselves as feeling happier after knitting.)

But could crafts such as knitting offer more far-reaching, long-term health
benefits?

Mind-stimulating activities such as these have been used by occupational
therapists

to alleviate symptoms of depression and to help improve motor functions in
people

with illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, says Sharon Gutman, an
occupational therapist

at Columbia University in New York.

In a 2007 review paper, Gutman and Victoria Schindler surveyed the
scientific literature

that analyzes the neurological basis for how hobbies and activities relate
to health

and well-being. They found that engaging in such activities as arts and
crafts, music,

meditation, home repairs and reading stimulates the mind, reduces the
effects of

stress-related diseases and slows cognitive decline.

But researchers are beginning to understand the neurological basis for why
these

activities are good for the mind.

In

a 2012 study

, Mayo Clinic professor of neurology and psychiatry Yonas Geda and
colleagues studied

the effects of activities including knitting, quilting and playing games in
1,321

seniors, nearly 200 of whom had mild cognitive impairment, an intermediate
stage

between normal aging and dementia. The researchers found that those who
engaged in

crafting, computer activities, playing games and reading books were 30 to 50
percent

less likely to have mild cognitive impairment than those who did not.

Geda notes that activities such as crafting may help build up "cognitive
reserves

and the ability to buffer and withstand lots of assault by bad chemicals in
the brain

and bad proteins accumulating." He points to

animal studies

showing that mice and rats living in enriched surroundings - such as with
running

wheels, toys and complex environments - are

less likely than others to develop cognitive problems such as dementia and
Alzheimer's disease

.

One reason, Gutman says, is that these activities engage several of the
brain's lobes

- the frontal lobe (which guides rewards processing, attention and
planning), the

parietal lobe (which handles sensory information and spatial navigation),
the occipital

lobe (which processes visual information), the temporal lobe (which is
involved in

storing memories and interpreting language and meaning) and the cerebellum
(which

coordinates precision and timing of movement).

Calling on all of these brain regions stimulates neural connections and
keeps the

connections working quickly and efficiently, Gutman says. The more we use
these connections

as we age, "the more they seem to stay intact and preserve our brain's
function and

stave off illnesses such as dementia."

So far, only a handful of studies have explored the therapeutic potential of
crafting

activities. In one

study

, 38 women hospitalized for anorexia were given a questionnaire about their
psychological

state after being taught to knit.

After an average of one hour and 20 minutes of knitting a day for an average
of three

weeks, 74 percent of them reported less fear and preoccupation with their
eating

disorder, the same percentage reported that knitting had a calming effect,
and just

over half said knitting gave them a sense of pride, satisfaction and
accomplishment.

There is a great deal more anecdotal evidence of the beneficial health
effects of

knitting. For instance, the McLean-based nonprofit

Project Knitwell

, which offers knitting instruction for caregivers, hospital staff, patients
and

patients' relatives, has found that participants "are less worried and feel
a great

sense of accomplishment when they complete a knitted item," says the group's
founder,

Carol Caparosa. "We work with many new mothers whose babies are born
prematurely

and they may not be able to hold their babies for weeks after their birth,
but they

can knit them a hat, which brings them a tremendous sense of pride and
feeling of

mothering."

The rhythmic movements of knitting offer many of the same kinds of benefits
as meditation,

says Carrie Barron, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at
Columbia University

in New York and co-author of the book "

The Creativity Cure: How to Build Happiness With Your Own Two Hands

." In addition, she says, seeing a project take shape provides a deep sense
of satisfaction.

"When we have a life-affirming project going on that grabs the self and gets
it to

work in a positive way, that is an antidepressant," Barron says.

I will keep all of this in mind the next time one of my knitting projects
goes awry.

It's good to be reminded that it's the process - not just the end product -
that

matters.