Tips for Knitters: Knitting Health Benefits?

After doing a little research on knitting I was really surprised by all the articles on the health benefits of knitting. I often forget that knitting is actually good for my wellbeing! 

Here are some knitting facts from intriguing articles:

"Knitting develops fine-motor skills, hand-eye coordination, math skills, and what Multiple Intelligences educational researcher Dr. Howard Gardner calls “Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence.” Since both hands hold needles and each hand has its own job, both sides of the brain are engaged and performing an internal rhythmic patterning that underlies the development of language skills, particularly reading, and also math." 

"knitting develops key habits that lead to success in academics and in careers: persistence, concentration, and collaboration."

-Cat Bordhi (http://www.catbordhi.com/documents/KnittinginSchools.pdf)

"It seems natural to me that someone who is skilled verbally and considered gifted would take to something like knitting. It’s mathematical and verbal at the same time; it’s solitary and social, too. The curiosity for me is that this very kinetic activity lends itself so well to describing it. Knitters learn a series of symbols and abbreviations very quickly. I think that, unlike many other crafts, you can get your hands moving and “forget” about what you’re doing so your mind is free to think or engage in converstaton or even read."

- www.everywhereknitting.blogspot.com. 

"The automaticity of knitting is important. It occupies some areas of your brain, whilst freeing up others. Many find that this enables them to 'zone out' to become 'mindless'. This gives your mind a mini break from any problems, enabling you to escape into the sanctuary of a quiet mind. This brings down stress levels and breaks into negative or ruminating downward thought cycles"

"Skills you learn whilst knitting can also be highly effective in education and industry."

"Knitting can change negative thoughts and attitudes into positive ones. It encourages people to move forwards. Confidence, self esteem, motivation and mood improves."

"If you occupy your brain with an activity that is absorbing enough to cancel out the pain signals, then your brain won't interpret those pain inducing signals. As a result you'll feel less pain and in some situations none at all! Knitting can quite literally take your mind off pain."

- Betsan Corkhill (http://www.knitonthenet.com)

Hope you found these articles as interesting as I did! How does knitting help your wellbeing?