[For Seniors] Spice Up Your Usual Oral Exercises! Patakara Exercises and Tongue Twisters

New Singer New Year Chanson Show

Chanson, which means “song” in French.

In Japan, the chanson “Meke Meke,” covered and sung in Japanese by Akihiro Miwa, is also well-known.

Older people may have heard it at least once.

The tongue twister “Shinjin Kashu Shinshun Chanson Show” can be understood to mean a New Year’s chanson show performed by new singers.

The tongue twister evokes an image of listening to a beautiful singing voice in a refreshing atmosphere.

But when you try the tongue twister, it’s hard to say.

In particular, the ‘so’ in chanson tends to turn into ‘sho.’

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Patakara exercises in a spring brook

Understand Activity Care in 3 Minutes Vol. 8 [Singing, Oral Care, Exercise] Let’s do exercises while singing “Spring Stream”! 🎵

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?

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Exercises in time with the song ‘Frog Chorus’

Noon swallowing exercises

Many senior care facilities have residents do oral exercises before meals, don’t they? When we eat, we use not only the mouth but also the muscles of the neck and shoulders.

With this oral exercise routine, you can move everything in time with the children’s song “The Frog Chorus” and train comprehensively.

Within a single song, you can incorporate plenty of exercises—such as moving the body and changing the lyrics to the syllables pa-ta-ka-ra while singing.

Thanks to the humorous, lighthearted feel of “The Frog Chorus,” older adults may find it easier to participate in the exercises with a relaxed, pleasant mood.

Try adding this “Frog Chorus” routine—an inventive twist on your usual oral exercises—and give it a go.

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Gymnastics with Pa-Pi-Pu-Pe-Po

A roaring-laughter mouth exercise with “pa pi pu pe po” — set to the children’s song “Hato Poppo.”

Here’s an introduction to an oral-motor exercise that changes the lyrics of “Hato Poppo” to only use the sounds pa, pi, pu, pe, and po.

At first, write the lyrics on paper or a whiteboard and have participants sing along.

Once they get used to it, hide the lyrics—having them think while singing often leads to laughter.

Recalling the lyrics can also stimulate the brain and may help prevent cognitive decline.

It’s also recommended to add variations, such as raising the arms or marching in place while singing.

Of course, seniors should only do what they comfortably can.

This oral exercise is likely to be a hit when done with a small group of older adults.

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Gymnastics with hand gestures

[Swallowing Training] Gave a lecture on the Pa-Ta-Ka-La exercises [Heart Smile Massage]

Let’s try adding hand movements to the Patakara oral exercises.

The hand movements are coordinated with the mouth movements for “pa-ta-ka-ra.” For example, you can’t pronounce “pa” without closing your lips.

To strengthen this lip-closing action, add a hand gesture that matches the mouth shape for “pa.” For “pa,” make your hand a fist like “rock” in rock–paper–scissors, then open it to “paper” at the same time you voice the sound.

By adding hand movements, even older adults can become more aware of their mouth movements.

The Patakara oral exercises not only train the muscles used for eating, but also enrich facial expressions and help people enjoy conversations with others.

You can also customize them, such as by adding hand movements while producing the sounds continuously.

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