Why do Olympic Athletes Knit?

Drs. Caroline Gerin-Lajoie & Kerri Ritchie

If you’ve ever seen an Olympic athlete knitting in the village, it might look surprising at first—until you remember what their nervous system is going through.

One of the biggest reasons elite athletes knit is stress relief. The training schedules are relentless, expectations are sky-high, and performance pressure can be intense. Knitting offers a quiet, steady counterbalance. That rhythmic, hands-busy process can reduce anxiety and help athletes mentally reset between training sessions and competitions. The simple and complex nature of knitting makes it a great stress buster strategy. Knitting can be ‘simple’ in the sense that it require sticks and string, but also complex due to the endless possibilities of patterns, colours, and creations. And, athletes are not the only ones reaching for this "old-school" comfort!

A resurgence of strategies that go back centuries

Have you noticed a resurgence of hobbies—knitting, canning, bread making, woodworking are suddenly everywhere again? This revival seems to be growing because these activities offer something many people are craving right now: a slower pace, focusing the mind, a sense of control, and the satisfaction of making something tangible. Knitting has become especially popular across age groups, with modern patterns and colorful yarns making it feel fresh and accessible. Canning is back as more people think about sustainability and reducing waste. Bread making has become a go-to ritual—partly for the delicious payoff, but also for how grounding the process can be. Woodworking, too, gives people a creative outlet and the pride of building something with their own hands.

What they all have in common is a deliberate, repetitive action. This signals our bodies to slow the nervous system, lowering blood pressure, regulating cortisol, reducing anxiety and decreasing symptoms of depression. These activities can remind us to let ourselves, mind and body, get off the expressway of life. It can shift us from being constantly available, plugged into technology and social media, and overprogrammed with classes, events, and social activities.

The drive to self regulate

Hobbies aren't the only way to soothe ours systems. Sometimes, our body takes over and does it for us. Remember being told not to fidget or shake your leg? Turns out your body might have been doing exactly what it needed. Small movements can help release pent-up energy, improve focus, and ease stress. Even sighing—often mistaken for annoyance—can act like a reset button, helping to regulate breathing and release tension. So why do we try so hard to stop these things? Maybe we need to be curious in these moments, what does our body know that we’ve been taught to stop?

Sometimes we can pro actively plan to slow down, to breathe, and to allow ourselves to do what our body, mind, and soul needs with hobbies. Sometimes if we are to "go go go" our body will do it for us, through movement, until it feels centered and anchored. In a complex world that has been pulling us to be on the go, to do more, be more, and compare ourselves to others, maybe we are ready to re-set this extreme.