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Knitting May Reduce Memory Loss
February 13 , 2013Northbrook, IL — Looking for ways to reduce memory loss as you get older? A study, reported by BBC News, reveals that middle-aged people who participated in certain hobbies, including reading, playing games, knitting, and patchworking, had a 40% reduced risk for memory loss.
According to Sarah Day, the head of public health for the Alzheimer’s Society, “One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years so there is a desperate need to find ways to prevent dementia.” Crafting, in particular, is an exercise that prevents cognitive passivity, encouraging people to think both creatively and analytically to assemble a well-structured, yet visually interesting, project.
On the other hand, a passive activity, such as watching TV, may actually increase one’s chances for memory loss. The study found that those watching less than seven hours of TV per day were about 50% less likely to suffer memory loss.
Not only has knitting been found to be beneficial for reducing memory loss, but it also helps reduce anxiety and lowers blood pressure, according to an article published by Canadian Living. Researchers at the University of Oxford asked subjects suffering from an eating disorder to report on their anxiety levels after knitting. 74% claimed that knitting had a calming effect on their psychological states of mind and lessened the intensity of their fears.
While further research is ongoing, if you’ve been looking for a reason to get into crafting, this might just be the push you needed.