[For Seniors] Enjoyable Brain Training! Finger Exercises That Help Prevent Dementia

Guu-Choki-Paa Exercise

Finger Exercises: Brain Training with 10 Rock-Paper-Scissors Variations to Prevent Dementia and Need for Care

Let’s try a finger exercise using rock, scissors, and paper from rock-paper-scissors.

Instead of just making rock, scissors, and paper with both hands, try crossing your hands or changing the order in which you make the shapes.

In addition, alternate making rock, scissors, and paper with your left and right hands, and add different motions such as gripping one wrist with the hand that isn’t forming a shape, or lowering your arm.

Do this alternately on both sides.

To make it even more challenging, it’s recommended to keep adding variations—like inserting a fox shape between rock, scissors, and paper, or using the scissors made with the thumb and index finger.

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SAKI

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Finger Exercise for Moving Numbers

[Finger Exercises, 3 Types] Alternating number counting is simple yet difficult [Dementia Prevention]

The finger exercise where you count alternately with both hands has very simple rules, but once you try it, you’ll realize it really makes your brain work! When the right hand shows 1, the left hand is a fist; next, the left hand shows 2 while the right hand is a fist—so there’s always one hand doing the counting.

If you’re demonstrating it in front of a group, like in a recreation activity, your mind might get mixed up unless you practice a bit beforehand.

Once you get used to it, try increasing the difficulty by adding a clap when you switch numbers, or crossing your hands while moving the count.

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yuri

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Guu-Choki-Paa Exercise

Let's try it: the Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise [A recreation/exercise for seniors!]

The “Guu-Choki-Paa Exercise” is a workout where you do body exercises while making rock–scissors–paper hand shapes.

Because it moves not only the fingers but the whole body, it seems likely to have positive effects on mental and physical health.

It can be done while seated, which makes it appealing for adjusting to older adults’ physical and mental conditions.

First, let’s move the upper body while doing rock–scissors–paper with the hands.

You’ll move your neck when you tilt your head upward, which is also good exercise.

Next, use your legs to do rock–scissors–paper.

That will loosen the muscles in the legs and hip joints, making it a very beneficial workout.

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Nanaka

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Get hyped—suri-suri ton-ton!

[Dementia Prevention] Customize/Adapt the Rub-Rub & Tap-Tap routine!

While seated in a chair, this activity has you perform different movements with each hand on your knees.

In time with the rhythm, one open hand rubs the knee, while the other hand is closed in a fist and taps the knee.

Doing forward-and-back and up-and-down movements on opposite sides helps activate the brain and can also provide a massaging effect for the legs.

It’s also recommended to swap hand shapes and actions within the rhythm to boost quick reactions and concentration.

Once you’re comfortable with the basic movements, gradually add rules to further enhance the brain-training effect.

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kappamaki

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Snail finger exercise

Tatsu-Grandma’s Brain Training: Boost Your Brain with the Snail Finger Exercise – Caregiving Entertainer Ryusei Ishida

This is a brain-training exercise where you make a snail shape with both hands! Extend one hand forward in a V sign (like scissors) and place your other hand, in a fist, on top of it to form the basic snail shape.

To keep that shape, swap the positions of your hands while also switching the V sign and the fist at the same time.

If you add a clap at each switching moment, it gets even more challenging! The difficulty and momentary confusion stimulate the brain and help activate it.

It can be even more fun if you do it to the rhythm of a children’s song or similar music.

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yuri

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Number Exercises

[Elderly] Getting excited with Number Exercises! Group Exercise by Gobō-sensei

This is a number exercise where each number has a specific movement! First, learn the movements for each number—for example, 1 is a hand clap, 2 is hands above the head, 3 is patting the knees, and so on.

After some practice, call out two or three numbers and have participants perform those movements in sequence.

For older adults, remembering three movements in a short time isn’t easy, but it’s absolutely fine to make mistakes! Thinking through the actions and watching others to imitate them also stimulates the brain, so don’t worry about doing the movements perfectly—just have fun.

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yuri

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Brain-training finger play

[Test Your Frontal Lobe] Brain Training for the Frontal Lobe That Seems Easy but Is Difficult

Here’s a no-prep recreation activity: a finger-play brain exercise.

It’s simple to do! First, hold your hands up with your palms facing you and make fists.

Open only the thumb on your right hand and only the pinky on your left hand.

Next, switch: open the pinky on your right hand and the thumb on your left hand.

Keep repeating this.

It sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly hard.

Try doing it to a rhythm—one, two, one, two—and you might find yourself laughing at how tricky it is.

But don’t worry.

The goal isn’t to do it perfectly; performing two different movements at the same time stimulates your brain, so just trying it provides a brain-training effect.

With practice, you’ll get the hang of it and feel a sense of achievement.

Give it a try!

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kojifumi

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