Week 4 | Simple tips for wellness while you knit.

Author: Jacqueline

I always appreciate a good Pilates class, row or workout. Recently I’ve come to covet my Pilates class, focusing on my arms and shoulders, post-knitting.

Rather than sharing the exercises and stretches I have developed myself at home (which are modeled after my kitties and their stretches), I consulted Petra, my Pilates instructor and the owner of Sphinx Pilates in Toronto. She gave me some simple tips to remember while knitting.

Petra is committed to helping her clients access their greatest potential through Pilates. She enjoys sharing teachings that have enriched her own life.

It is worth noting that I wasn’t the only closet knitter experiencing arm fatigue in the class. Once we started on the subject, others perked up with similar strains and aches as I am experiencing. These tips are also useful if you sit at a computer for an extended period of time. Or, say, if you sit at a computer during the day, then go home and knit as well! Enjoy.

Three simple tips for wellness while you knit:

1. Drop Your Elbows
2. Get up and Stretch
3. Massage those Hands!

1. Are you tensing up through your shoulders?

Just let your elbows be heavy (* this is key*), notice the freedom through your neck.

2. Get up and stretch or stretch sitting…reach your arms up wide to the ceiling and look up too…every 20min 

3. Your hands are working hard in a repetitive movement – show them some appreciation once you’re done.

Use a small ball (you can buy it at a dollar store) and roll it in between your hands. Get it into the webbing of your hands. Wellness Made Simple!

I’m off on a tradeshow trip this weekend. I’ll be taking my knitting on board! I’ll be sure to take these stretch tips with me. I have a small ball (as described above- a super ball, from the Dollar Store). I’ll be doing extra stretches on the plane, as well as rolling out my hands. I also roll out my feet, but that’s another story.