[For Seniors] Introducing Cognicise for Dementia Prevention
Some caregiving staff may be thinking, “I want to prevent muscle weakness and dementia in older adults.” Are you familiar with something called “Cognicise,” which trains both cognition and physical movement? Cognicise is a coined term combining cognition and exercise.
Because it involves performing cognitive tasks while moving the body, it’s one of the trainings we highly recommend for older adults.
This time, we’ll introduce Cognicise activities ranging from simple to difficult.
Some use tools, so you can enjoy a wide variety of options.
Please make good use of them!
- Cognicise you can do while seated. Simple dementia prevention.
- [Brain Training for Seniors] Recommended Hand-Play Recreation for Dementia Prevention
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Lively Mind Exercises
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Brain-Training Recreation
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [Recommended for seniors] Rejuvenating Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
- [For Seniors] Extremely Effective Brain Training! A Fun Collection of Hand Games
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- Recreation Activities Effective for Long-Term Care Prevention for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Balance-Training Exercises: Preventing Falls
- For seniors: Enjoyable exercises done while seated, accessible for wheelchair users.
[For Older Adults] Introducing Dementia-Prevention Cognicise (1–10)
Cognicise using numbers
Count numbers aloud, and clap your hands on every multiple of 3.
It looks simple, but it actually makes you use your brain.
Some older adults may find it difficult.
However, it’s said that your brain is most active when you feel something is “hard.” A level where you make mistakes and feel it’s “a little difficult” is just right.
At first, providing hints—like writing the multiples of 3 on a whiteboard—may help things go smoothly.
You can also do this exercise with multiples other than 3, so try different numbers.
Cognicise with a calendar
This is a “cognicise” routine tailored to the number of days in each month.
From January to December, some months have 30 days and others 31.
Sit in a chair and march your feet, adjusting the exercise to match the number of days in each month.
For months that do not have 31 days, like January or February, add hand claps; conversely, for months that do have 31 days, like March or May, add hand claps.
July and August both have 31 days in a row, so that’s an easy place to make mistakes.
Try writing the number of days for all 12 months on a whiteboard or on chairs in advance to help.
Once you get used to it, add more movements to increase the level.
Enjoy the exercise while having fun!
Cognicise exercises that even people with hemiplegia can do
Among older adults, some may have developed hemiplegia as a sequela of a cerebral infarction (stroke).
When hemiplegia occurs and joint movement decreases, the joints can gradually become stiff and progress to contractures.
Therefore, we would like to introduce “Cognicise,” which is recommended for people with hemiplegia.
Of course, you can do these exercises while seated without overexertion, together with people who do not have hemiplegia.
As you exercise, move your arms and, for example, perform a different movement when you reach multiples of a certain number—training both your body and your mind.
Please give it a try.
[For older adults] Introducing Cognicise for dementia prevention (11–20)
Cognicise to the music
This is “Cognicise,” performed to light, upbeat music.
Adding music makes it easier to move your body and vocalize while enjoying the rhythm.
It’s best to go at the pace of older adults, but this is especially recommended for those who feel the exercises are a bit difficult.
Once they can do the basic exercises, gradually add movements—such as more arm exercises and vocalization.
In fact, once something becomes “doable,” the brain may not be working as hard.
To stimulate the brain, keep increasing the difficulty as you go.
Cognicise with ‘Moshi Moshi Kame yo’
Here’s an exercise that gets even more exciting when done with several people.
It’s a cognicise routine set to the children’s song “The Rabbit and the Turtle,” which sings about the race between the rabbit and the turtle.
As the song plays, add marching, arm stretches, and hand claps.
Once you get the hang of the moves, try exercising while singing along.
Even if you make mistakes, the bright melody turns them into laughs.
In fact, striving to master the moves, rather than already being able to do them, helps activate the brain.
Don’t worry about mistakes—give it a try! You can also have fun by adding various other movements.
Cognicise with the Frog Exercise
Sit in a chair and move both your hands and feet.
Because you can move your whole body without strain, this helps improve blood flow and can prevent or reduce swelling.
While doing the exercises, keep your fingers spread wide in a “pa” (open-hand) shape.
Moving your legs and other parts while keeping your fingers in this open shape helps activate the brain.
Cognicise is also called dual-task exercise.
Dual-task exercise refers to doing more than one thing at the same time, such as thinking while you exercise.
Doing two things simultaneously is said to stimulate the brain and activate it efficiently.
Gradually increase the difficulty, and don’t worry about making mistakes—just keep your body moving.
Cognicise using the twelve zodiac signs
This is an exercise that matches the twelve zodiac animals, using hand claps and poses imitating each animal.
Sit in a chair and start by stepping in place while reciting the twelve zodiac signs.
Choose two animals, and when those animals come up, add hand claps.
You can also assign different movements based on each participant’s zodiac sign to vary the actions.
Feel free to increase the difficulty by adding more movements, such as imitating the animals or tapping the thighs.
Challenging more complex tasks is said to activate the brain efficiently.
It might also be fun to include the animals’ sounds.
For animals like the Dragon or Rabbit, whose sounds aren’t obvious, inviting older adults to imagine and create their own sounds could make the activity enjoyable.