[For Older Adults] Games to Enhance Oral Function: Enjoyable and Easy to Do
Oral functions play an important role in daily life, such as eating and speaking.
We all want to keep enjoying meals and conversations as we get older.
In this article, we’ll introduce fun and easy activities that help improve oral function.
For example, are you familiar with vowel articulation practice like “a-i-u-e-o”?
It’s a simple and enjoyable articulation exercise, and in fact, it not only enhances oral function but also helps strengthen your abdominal muscles.
We also introduce exercises that are essential for health management, so please try to find some that you feel you can do!
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[For Older Adults] Games to Improve Oral Function: Enjoyable Activities (41–50)
Whole-body relaxation exercises
Let’s relax the muscles throughout the body and improve oral function.
Some of you may wonder, “Are whole-body muscles related to oral function?” It’s said that by relaxing all your muscles and getting into a calm state, blood circulation improves and mouth movements become smoother.
Relaxing your whole body doesn’t mean doing strenuous exercises that require lots of movement.
Sit in a chair and move your upper body to the right and left.
Once you get used to it, gradually start moving up and down and diagonally.
The key is to release bodily tension and move freely.
Because it can be done while seated, it seems suitable for many older adults.
[For Seniors] Activities to Enhance Oral Function. Enjoyable and Easy (51–60)
Massage to increase saliva and make eating easier
Saliva has functions beyond just making it easier to swallow food.
It helps keep the mouth moist to prevent dryness and also washes away debris and bacteria in the mouth.
However, as we age, we tend to drink less water, and medications can also make it harder to produce saliva.
In addition to staying hydrated, try exercises that encourage saliva production.
These are massages that stimulate the three salivary glands in the mouth.
A decrease in saliva can lead to cavities and gum disease, so please give it a try.
Core training to improve swallowing function
In senior care and welfare facilities, I imagine you conduct daily exercises and training to improve swallowing function.
This time, let’s add a twist to your usual routine using a bath towel.
We’ll use a bath towel to strengthen the core.
By strengthening the core, posture becomes more stable, making swallowing safer.
Lie on your back with a bath towel rolled up like a rod placed along your spine.
Raise your arms and lift your legs.
The key is to focus on engaging your abdominal muscles.
Please adjust the intensity to suit older adults and keep it within a comfortable, safe range.
voice training
The trachea used for swallowing and vocalizing is the same.
In addition to swallow training, incorporating vocalization can indirectly strengthen the throat.
So this time, we’ll introduce voice-based exercises.
Key points include engaging your core while exhaling and releasing tension in your shoulders and neck as you produce sound.
Practice making loud and soft sounds, and sustain your voice for longer periods.
With continued training, you can expect improvements such as changes in voice quality and easier voice production.
You might also try adding practice with words and sentences.
Exercises to improve tongue and throat movements
To improve swallowing function, training the throat and tongue can be effective.
Strengthening the muscles around the throat helps build swallowing power.
Tongue exercises are said to stimulate the salivary glands around the mouth, making it easier to produce saliva.
Please vocalize words that require large tongue movements or allow you to feel the movement of your throat.
While vocalizing, try to keep your jaw from moving by placing your hands on your cheeks, and be mindful of engaging your abdomen.
Incorporate these into your daily exercise routine to enhance your swallowing function.
Patakara exercises in a spring brook
We’d like to introduce the Patakara exercise that you do while singing.
By pronouncing “pa,” “ta,” “ka,” and “ra,” the Patakara exercise helps train the muscles around the mouth and the tongue.
Some facilities have already incorporated it into their daily exercise routines.
Using a familiar song for older adults, such as “Spring Brook,” makes it easier for them to engage in the exercise.
“Spring Brook” has a gentle melody, making it especially suitable.
Choosing songs that reflect the season can also help older adults feel the change of seasons.
Why not try adding it to your usual exercise routine?
Gokkun training
Here is a training exercise to strengthen the digastric muscles at the base of the jaw.
Also nicknamed the “gulping muscles,” training the digastric muscles lifts the Adam’s apple.
When the Adam’s apple rises, it helps prevent aspiration.
Take a sip of water and, as you swallow, engage your digastric muscles.
Try swallowing while touching your digastric muscles and your Adam’s apple with your hands to stay aware of them.
Repeat several times; the key is to swallow firmly enough that you feel fatigue under your chin.