“Help make exercise more enjoyable”
– by Tommy Dunne
“I would just like to give a few tips for people with dementia to keep healthy and do some exercise. Healthy feet are essential if the person with dementia is to remain mobile and active, so regular checks with a chiropodist are vital. Swimming under supervision, walking, gardening, and dare I say it, housework, are also good forms of exercise. Gardening is a physical activity that provides an opportunity to get outdoors, from general tidying to weeding, watering the plants. This can be done with the elderly and young people alike.
It is also the satisfaction of watching the plants grow, and enjoying their colors and smells and their textures. Gardening can be very enjoyable, even if the person with dementia does not have a garden. You can get indoor plants and flowers. Smelling a flower is enjoyable.
There’s also tai chi, and other forms of Chinese martial arts that combine simple physical movement and meditation. But some of the best exercises can be done at home or with a group at a local class, and it can be great fun. It can benefit the carer as well. And it can involve passing around things such as a ball, or shacking maracas or triangles or any musical instrument. Help make exercise more enjoyable.”
