A Healthy Hobby

The Health Benefits of Crocheting

I can personally attest to the health benefits of crocheting.  For me, there is nothing more relaxing for my mind, body and spirit.  I look forward to sitting down to crochet in the evenings, and always have a project or two in the works.  It is a quiet and restful activity, which is perfect when my body has had enough for one day.  It focuses my mind on the task at hand, but doesn't overwhelm or stress me.  The rhythmic movements as I stitch put me in a meditative place.  The simplicity of creating something beautiful from a ball of yarn and a hook is good for my soul.  It puts me in touch with my heritage, reminding me of my mother, my grandmother, and all the women who crocheted before me.

There is much evidence that crochet is a healthy hobby.  Here's some interesting information my research turned up:

• Mental Wellness:  Crocheting and other hobbies that require focus have been shown to reduce stress levels in your body. Crocheting releases hormones like dopamine and serotonin, which have a positive effect on your well-being. You may sleep better. You may feel happier and enjoy less stress.

• Nimble Fingers:  If you struggle with joint pain in your hands and fingers, crocheting can help. Studies have shown that keeping your joints moving helps improve blood flow and can reduce pain from arthritis.

• Learning:  Doctors and scientists agree that the best way to keep your brain healthy and strong, and to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's, is to keep your brain active and to learn new things. When you learn to crochet you'll be creating new pathways in your brain.

 (from Yahoo Voices)

And, there seem to be many articles referencing crochet's benefits for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease:

In her book "100 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer’s and Age-Related Memory Loss", author Jean Carper organizes these prevention tools into four categories, two of which directly relate to crochet. The first is to keep your brain constantly engaged by learning new things. There is almost no end to the number of techniques and styles you can learn with crochet to keep challenging your mind. The second is to engage in proper emotional self-care to reduce stress. 

Crochet can also be beneficial for people who already have Alzheimer’s, including late-stage Alzheimer’s. Crochet is a repetitive task so it can be learned as a body memory that a person may be able to continue doing even after other parts of the memory start to fade. Crocheting for others can help people with the condition to continue to feel useful even as they lose some of their abilities. Additionally, one of the major problems of Alzheimer’s is “agitated hands” in which the person constantly fidgets and may pick at herself, damage things or otherwise cause problems … crocheting keeps the hands busy to reduce this problem.

(from Crochet Concupiscence)              

Crochet is also easy to learn, and there are many projects you can complete in a very short period of time.  I love the fast satisfaction achieved by a small project.  It really boosts my mood to create something, and I love giving my crochet work as gifts.  Even a small, personalized bookmark can make someone's day.

So, if you haven't yet taken up crochet, give it a try!  There are many benefits to this "healthy hobby"!