Art for healthy ageing

If you have limited mobility, painting can be one way to stay active and involved. Handling paint, moving a brush around, and interacting with the canvas can all be useful as low-impact gentle movements. This helps your joint mobility and fine motor skills.

Similar things can be said of other art forms that require the use of your hands, like sculpting or knitting. Keeping your joints in regular use helps to keep them limber. Of course, be careful in your movements, and rest your hands if they feel strained.

You can also try these hand exercises or therapy dough. Check with a health professional if you’re unsure if these exercises are for you.

Experiencing positive emotions is associated with healthier levels of cytokines, according to a 2015 study. This indicates a happier immune system. The association especially applies to awe. And we tend to get awe from art and nature.

And here's another interesting thing. In a 2004 study, daily emotional writing was shown to boost the immune system in immunodeficient people. Emotional writing, in particular, more than neutral writing. 

It seems like doing things that make you feel good might just be good for you, after all.

Artistic skill and creativity are supported by wide brain areas. (According to a 2010 study.) So, these abilities are greatly resistant to brain damage. So, the benefits of art are also available to people with dementia.

In fact, visual art enhances memory and attention in people with dementia. It also helps with intellectual engagement and learning.

Doing art sharpens the capacity of the senses. And it may help people with dementia to act more like themselves. 

When you create art, you challenge yourself. You solve problems as you go.

You figure out ways to represent 3D objects on a flat canvas, for example. Or to express the feelings you can't find words for.

Challenging yourself like this on a regular basis promotes a mindset of growth. This helps you to approach new skills without shame. Rather, with the intention of learning.

Learn about the importance of lifelong learning to your health and happiness.

How do you move your brush? Perhaps try a method that relies on movement in your shoulder and elbow rather than small movements of your wrist and fingers.

How do you hold your brush? Pinch grip is when you hold something between your finger and thumb. If using pinch grip, make the shape of an O, not a D. This means make sure your thumb is curled rather than straight. It reduces the load on your thumb joints. (Brushes with thicker handles are also easier to hold and place less stress on your joints than brushes with very thin or small handles.)

Could a wrist brace, compression glove, or kinesiology tape help you? This might make gripping a brush easier.

Are you taking breaks? Remember to put the brush down for a moment every 5-10 minutes. Let your gripping muscles and thumb joints rest. This would also be a great time to try some gentle hand stretches.

You can find many assistive products for craft activities. But it can be hard to find the exact equipment you need from Australian retailers. Still, you can look online for some great ideas on how to make your own. Also ask an occupational therapist for advice.

Here are some examples of various grip types to try replicating. You can engage the spherical, cylindrical, or hook grips. These are all more powerful and easier on the thumb than pinch grip. 

Here's one example of a grip-free paintbrush. You could make something like it by attaching a handle perpendicular to your brush. You might create a cylindrical grip this way too. 

If you have low or deteriorating vision, it might help to go big for your canvas and brush. Reduce eyestrain to look after your eyes. You could also create other forms of art, like music, sculpture, or crochet.

Consider visiting installation art exhibits, like Sculpture by the Sea. These can offer a rich experience of smells, sounds, and textures, as well as larger and easier-to-see sights. Tactile art tours are also available in many galleries and museums on request. For example, the WA Maritime Museum's Please Touch: Tactile Tour.

Art is still available to those with no vision. You can read case studies describing various methods and benefits of art therapy for people who are blind here. 

If you need more information, take the LiveUp quiz or get in touch with one of our helpful team on 1800 951 971.

Do you have some art you want to share with the world? Why not enter in the AMCS Art Against Ageism Competition? Browse last year's highlights here.