[For Seniors] Brain Training Recommended for Dementia Prevention
In this article, we introduce brain-training activities that can help prevent dementia in older adults.
As we age, memory is something everyone worries about.
For those concerned, we recommend simple, easy-to-do brain training designed for seniors.
Doing brain training activates the brain and can contribute to overall mental and physical well-being.
There are quiz formats, riddles, four-character idioms, and even brain-training activities you can do while moving your body.
Find the brain training that suits you, and enjoy doing it.
If you’re a caregiving professional looking for brain-training ideas, be sure to check these out.
- [For Seniors] Brain Training! Recall Quiz Collection!
- [For Seniors] Challenging but Exciting! Kanji Quiz
- [For Seniors] Find daily brain training. Today’s recommended brain workout.
- [For Seniors] Lively Wordplay Game: Fun Recreation for Elderly Care
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Prefecture Quiz
- Recommended for seniors. Brain training with an odd-one-out quiz.
- [For Seniors] Popular Brain Training and Recreational Quizzes
- [For Seniors] Fun and Lively! Recommended Quiz Questions
- [For Seniors] Fun Riddles That Stimulate the Brain
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Brain Training! Finger Exercises That Help Prevent Dementia
- [For Seniors] A Brain-Training, Crowd-Pleasing Word Search Game
- [Brain Training] Lively Word Quiz for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
[For Seniors] Brain Training That Helps Prevent Dementia! Recommended Exercises (91–100)
Team battles included! Let’s search for the letters together.
There’s also a word-hunting game everyone can work on together.
The idea is to search the facility for slips of paper with words on them and then rearrange them to form several new words.
That way, it’s exercise for the body as well as the mind.
It could get exciting as a solo challenge or a team competition.
In team mode, it can also be a good opportunity for participants to bond with each other.
If you have enough space, definitely give it a try.
By the way, aiming for around five words to create seems like a good balance—not too few and not too many.
Nansupi
Introducing “NANSPI / NUMBER SPEED,” a game that trains the brain for both kids and adults simply by pressing buttons and having fun.
There are three ways to play: a time-attack mode where you press buttons in order from the smallest number to the largest and compete for speed; a memory mode where you remember and reproduce the order and position of flashing lights; and another memory mode where you recreate the positions of shapes represented by toppled buttons.
You’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment when you press all the buttons without any mistakes.
Give it a try!
[For Seniors] Brain Training That Helps Prevent Dementia! Recommended Exercises (101–110)
Balance game
Using your fingertips while also using your head for balance—here’s a balance game to try.
All you need is a helmet, a tray, and beanbags.
You can substitute the helmet with something else.
Place the tray on top of the helmet, then put the beanbags on the tray.
The key is to keep an eye on the overall balance so it doesn’t tip to one side.
Decide whether to place each beanbag slowly or quickly and where exactly to put it.
This engages the upper limbs from fingertips to shoulders, and the brain’s decision-making processes, making it a promising brain-training activity to help prevent cognitive decline.
It’s simple, yet the setup changes every time, so you can enjoy it without getting bored.
Puzzle
Puzzles you can lose yourself in and forget the time are a classic way to pass the time! Using your fingertips to pick up tiny pieces and searching for the exact spot where each one fits while you think things through makes puzzles great for helping prevent cognitive decline.
Plus, the experience of creating a single finished piece with your own hands builds confidence and lifts your spirits.
Another great thing about puzzles is the excitement of working while picturing the completed image! Choose a puzzle with a moderate difficulty—neither too hard nor too boring—and make your free time more enjoyable.
Puzzle Blocks
We’d like to introduce a 3D puzzle game where you cleverly combine blocks of different shapes to complete a form.
Within a limited frame, flipping, inverting, and repositioning the blocks through trial and error not only stimulates thinking, but the warm feel of the wood and the act of moving the pieces with your hands provide positive stimulation for the brain.
You can enjoy it on your own at a relaxed pace, or play with others and compete for time—there are plenty of ways to have fun.
Give it a try!
Pikagoro
As we age, it’s said that handling multiple tasks at the same time becomes more difficult.
Using both the mind and body has brain-training benefits, and if you move your body while thinking, you can expect even greater brain activation.
This time, I’ll introduce the Pika-Goro game.
Have the older adults sit facing each other, each holding two sticks.
The caller says “pika-pika” or “goro-goro.” On the cue “dokan,” the older adults should both grip the sticks and raise them.
Once everyone gets used to it, calling out “pika-pika” or “goro-goro” several times and then feinting can make it even more exciting.
Ping-Pong Ball Cup-In Game
Here’s an easy, fun table game.
Place paper or plastic cups on a table.
Then have the older adults who are seated try to get a ping-pong ball into the cups.
They can throw the ball or bounce it—either is fine.
It’s also nice to think about different ways to get the ball into the cup and approach it like a game.
Grasping the ping-pong ball may help train finger strength as well.
It’s a simple game, but it’s delightful when the ball lands in a cup, and it can be refreshing, too.
Please give it a try!
