[For Seniors] Spice Up Your Usual Oral Exercises! Patakara Exercises and Tongue Twisters
In facilities where older adults live, many residents look forward to mealtimes.
This time, we’re introducing oral exercises that can strengthen chewing and swallowing abilities to help you enjoy meals more.
If your facility already uses such exercises, adding some variations to your usual routine can make it more fun to continue.
If you haven’t started yet, why not try beginning with slower-paced exercises?
By increasing saliva production, you can help prevent aspiration, improve digestive function, and potentially boost appetite!
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[For Seniors] Put a twist on your usual oral exercises! Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra drills and tongue twisters (31–40)
A-I-U-Be Exercise Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Many care facilities have residents do oral exercises before meals.
The goals of these exercises include preventing aspiration, reducing food spillage, and improving eating and articulation.
This time, we’d like to introduce an oral exercise set to the melody of the children’s song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Using familiar songs—like children’s songs that many older adults know—makes it easier to participate.
By changing the lyrics to “aiuebe” and vocalizing them, you can expect to strengthen the tongue and the muscles around the mouth.
Since it also trains the facial expression muscles, conversations with richer expressions may become smoother.
It’s an exercise that also supports communication, so please give it a try.
A-I-U-Be mouth exercise staring game
It’s an exercise that adds “staring contest” to the “A-I-U-BE mouth exercise,” so it includes lots of laughter.
It can of course be enjoyed at care facilities, and it also seems perfect to try at home with your grandchildren.
Some older adults may have limited interaction with others.
With a staring-contest version of the A-I-U-BE exercise, you can foster interaction and smiles through the activity.
It’s easy to do as a game for recreation, so it’s highly recommended.
Let’s enjoy doing mouth exercises while having fun.
A-I-U-Be Exercises, Yokai Version
Let’s try doing the “Ai-U-Be” mouth exercise to a cheerful anime song themed around bright, upbeat yokai! Some older adults may have watched this anime with their grandchildren back in the day.
If the song feels familiar, it might make it easier to engage in the exercise.
The Ai-U-Be exercise is recommended for preventing mouth breathing, which can affect tooth alignment and lead to cavities.
By doing the exercise, the tongue’s position changes, making nasal breathing easier.
Adding a melody to a routine exercise may also boost motivation for older adults.
Please feel free to make use of this idea!
A-I-U-Be mouth exercise to the rhythm
This is the “A-I-U-BE” exercise performed to a rhythm.
Let’s add singing while doing the A-I-U-BE exercises.
With an upbeat melody, older adults will feel cheerful and more willing to give the exercises a try.
If the lyrics describe how to open the mouth, it also helps older adults move their mouths smoothly.
Many senior facilities incorporate A-I-U-BE exercises as training for the mouth and tongue.
Singing is also recommended for preventing aspiration, as it helps strengthen the throat and abdominal muscles.
It also promotes saliva secretion, which helps maintain a healthy oral environment.
Give it a try while having fun!
Aiube exercises while singing
Here is an introduction to the “Ai-U-Be Exercise,” which comes with lyrics and hand movements.
The Ai-U-Be Exercise is designed to improve breathing from mouth breathing to nasal breathing.
You can do it while seated and practically anywhere, so many senior care facilities may have adopted it.
By switching to nasal breathing, germs can be trapped in the nose, and moistened air can be sent into the body.
Repeating a set—such as 10 repetitions—several times helps strengthen the tongue and enables the mouth to stay closed.
For older adults, an exercise that includes simple lyrics and hand choreography makes it easier to try several times to music.
The movements can be done while seated, helping to move the body and promote overall blood circulation.
[For Seniors] Spice Up Your Usual Oral Exercises! Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra Drills and Tongue Twisters (41–50)
5-second Keep A-I-U-Be Exercise
Let’s improve mouth breathing with the “A-I-U-BE” exercises.
Mouth breathing can cause cavities and periodontal disease and has negative effects on overall health.
It’s also said to adversely affect teeth alignment.
The Japan Dental Association is promoting a campaign encouraging people to “Keep at least 20 of your own teeth even at age 80.” Having 20 or more of your own teeth is associated with being generally satisfied with your eating and diet.
So, try the A-I-U-BE exercise: exaggerate the mouth movements for “A, I, U, BE” and hold each for 5 seconds.
At first, some older adults may get tired even after one round.
It’s fine to go at the pace of the older person, and gradually increase the number of repetitions.
Vocal exercise with A I U E O
This is an oral exercise using the vowels “a-i-u-e-o” that makes it easier for older adults to speak loudly.
The first five sounds of the Japanese syllabary, “a-i-u-e-o,” are said to be easy for Japanese people to pronounce.
When the words are easy to say, it may be easier for older adults to try them, and the effect may improve as well.
Be mindful of how wide you open your mouth and how you move it, and try changing the order of a-i-u-e-o or varying the pitch.
The key here is to enjoy the exercise.
Try adding elements that will get older adults engaged, such as inserting casual conversation during the exercise or making the movements bigger.