5 Surprising Benefits of Knitting
Knitting is a beautiful hobby that Sydney East, NSW, home care providers highly recommend for seniors. The cost of knitting can be relatively small depending on the project chosen. Many seniors love to knit. Whether they choose to do it on a loom or with needles, there are many surprising benefits to knitting.
1. Knitters Boost Brain Function
Since connections in the brain must stay active when knitting. As reported in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, knitting requires activity in at least 60 percent of the brain. Sydney East, NSW, dementia care providers know that when brain activity occurs, dementia is likely to stay away.
2. Knitting Helps Calm Anxiety
There is something magical about sitting down with needles or a loom that calms anxiety. Seniors who knit on a regular basis experience less anxiety. The fact that they are working on a project helps them to stay in the now, instead of worrying about tomorrow.
3. Knitting Makes Seniors Happier
In a study reported in The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 81 percent of knitters said they were happier when they were working on a special project. In fact, in the survey, over 50 percent of those responders said they were very happy when knitting.
4. Knitting Allows Seniors to Relax
Research has shown that knitting produces the same effects as meditation on the body. It acts as a form of mental exercise that produces changes in the senior’s physical condition such as decreasing heart rate, slowing down breathing and relieving muscle tension.
5. Knitting Boosts Self-Esteem
Scientists have also learned that seniors who knit have better self-esteem. Seniors can take great pride in their work when they finish a decorative throw blanket or knit a pair of gloves as a present. They may feel so proud of their creations that they want to show it to their caregivers and others who come to visit them.
There are many benefits of knitting for seniors. One of the best ways to encourage a senior to start this hobby is to do it with them. Contact Home Care Assistance at (02) 9158 3880 today to learn more ways to keep your loved one engaged. Our flexible live-in and hourly home care in Sydney East encourages seniors to maintain active healthy lifestyles in the comfort of home. Let us customize a unique care plan when you call today.
