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How to Keep Healthy As An Avid Knitter With These Great Stretching Exercises
Knitting is a much loved activity, with a soothing effect on the mind. However, as people grow older, especially if they have their hands involved in repetitive activities such as typing and knitting, their joints tend to become stiff and sore.
Continuing your favorite pastime may look like a hurdle when your hands are painful.
Fret not, solutions do exist and they are quite simple. Stretching your joints has a therapeutic effect, and for knitters, certain stretching exercises can work wonders.
Here are a few you can practice with great results.
Bending your fingers
The trouble with fingers when you are knitting for hours is that they are maintained in the same position or involved in repetitive moves for a lot of time.
Start by bending each finger backwards and holding for 20 seconds. Keep your wrist straight while doing so, and do the same by bending the fingers back together.
Work on both hands in the same manner.
Bending the wrists
Your wrists are also subjected to a lot of strain if you are an avid knitter. They hold most of the weight of your work, and they must be kept in the same position for hours.
Be gentle to them and offer them this helpful exercise: bend each wrist backwards and hold it like this for 20 seconds. Always start with your dominant hand and remember to breathe evenly while stretching.
Protecting your neck
It is very important that you do not bend your neck while knitting. It is advisable to follow your work with your eyes, not your neck.
However, the temptation to use your neck is there, so you should be able to do something about the stiffness there.
Push your chin into your chest and hold for 20 seconds.
Exercising your neck some more
Your neck should be flexible even if you are knitting every day. Bend your head towards your right shoulder as much as possible and hold for 20 seconds.
Do the same on the left side.
With just a few minutes of stretching every day, you will be able to continue with your knitting just as much as you like.
Source & Images: Knitting Dail
