Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Worked as a certified care worker for 17 years.Nanaka
I’ve been working as a certified care worker for 17 years. I’m Nanaka, a caregiving web writer. I decided to pursue this profession because I wanted a job that would help people. Having worked in day care for many years, I’ve experienced a wide variety of recreational activities. Exercise set to music, in particular, always created a cheerful atmosphere and was very well received. I’d be delighted to continue delivering writing that resonates with readers through caregiving-related articles. Thank you for your support.

For older adults, moving their hands and fingers is very important because it helps stimulate brain activity.

That’s why many senior care facilities incorporate hand and finger play as a way to help prevent dementia.

Among these activities, brain-training style hand and finger games may seem difficult at first, but they allow participants to talk and think together—saying things like “I did it!” or “How do you do this part?”—so they can enjoy the activity while engaging in communication.

There are exercises that involve different movements with the left and right hands, or moving the fingers while singing.

Please choose and adapt activities according to each older adult’s physical and mental condition.

[For Seniors] Collection of Hand and Finger Games: Finger Exercises That Lead to Brain Training (81–90)

Ten thousand feet in the Alps

[Singing Exercise♪] ~Ten Thousand Fathoms of the Alps~ Brain Training Gymnastics

Ten thousand feet in the Alps

“Arupusu Ichiman-jaku” is a classic hand game song that sets original Japanese lyrics to the American folk tune “Yankee Doodle.” Each movement is very simple—clapping, extending the right hand diagonally forward, extending the left hand forward, extending both hands forward, interlacing the fingers and flipping the hands, and so on.

Doing it while touching your partner’s hands creates a greater sense of closeness, which is one of the charms of this hand game.

The choreography can vary by region, so it can also spark lively conversations about childhood, like “This is how I learned it!”

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Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra finger exercises

[Mouth Exercises While Wearing a Mask] Patakara + finger exercises have become the ultimate oral workout! 4 patterns! Also activates the brain!

Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra finger exercises

When eating, not only mouth movements but also finger movements—like holding chopsticks or bringing food to your mouth—are important.

This is an adaptation that adds finger movements to the Patakara exercise to coordinate the mouth and fingers.

The content is simple: as you pronounce each syllable, fold a finger to count at the same time.

Once you get used to the motions, try changing the finger movements and gradually making them more complex to expect brain-training benefits.

While it’s important to focus on finger movements, it’s also crucial to be mindful that your mouth movements don’t become small.

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If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

Brain-Training Exercise with Songs: “If You’re Happy and You Know It” — A Super-Easy Workout for Seniors

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands

“If You’re Happy and You Know It” became a hit in Japan in 1964 when Kyu Sakamoto sang it.

It’s also widely loved as a children’s song.

It’s such a cheerful tune that you can’t help but start moving when you hear it.

It’s great as a hand-play activity too, helping to exercise various parts of the body—hands, feet, shoulders, and more.

Doing it while singing seems to provide good stimulation for the brain.

As the lyrics say, even just clapping your hands can lift your spirits.

Let’s all enjoy this hand-play song together.

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Ear, Nose Game

[Dementia Prevention] Can simply pinching your ears and nose activate the brain? Multitask Training

Ear, Nose Game

Pinch your nose with one hand, and with the other hand crossed over, pinch the ear on the opposite side.

At the cue, switch that configuration, aiming to swap hands smoothly.

The key points are that each hand is pinching a different spot and that one hand is crossed over.

Thinking carefully while moving your hands helps activate the brain.

Even just the hand-switching action is challenging, but adding a clap before switching, for example, makes it even harder and further enhances awareness of movement and concentration.

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Where are you folks from?

[Senior Recreation] If you want brain-training sing-and-exercise for seniors, this is it! Five ‘Antagata Dokosa’ routines taught by an occupational therapist

Where are you folks from?

Antagata Dokosa is known as one of the handball songs among traditional children’s songs.

There are two theories about its setting: Kumamoto City in Kumamoto Prefecture and Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture.

Many older people may remember playing while bouncing a ball when they were young.

In this recreation activity, participants sit and clap their hands while patting their thighs, and also add foot stamping and arm swinging.

Performing various actions simultaneously seems likely to help invigorate both body and mind.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced a wide range of finger and hand games recommended for older adults.

They’re all great for brain training, and some exercises can be confusing at first glance.

However, tackling them even while your mind feels a bit tangled is exactly what leads to cognitive benefits.

Try enjoying them together, communicating with each other about what you could and couldn’t do.