Seniors Must Exercise Their Mind as Much as Their Body

by Kevin Smith Author

Almost everyone understands the importance of exercising the body and mind, particularly as people age. Of the two, the body gets most of the focus, but the mind is just as, if not more important for seniors to exercise. If you are visiting a loved one in an Augusta, KS, nursing home, here are a few mental exercises you can engage them in to keep them as sharp as possible.

Take a Walk

Exercise, even a short 20-minute walk, can focus the mind and provide external stimulus that is invaluable in keeping the mind sharp.

Improve Their Vocabulary

Play word games that challenge them to learn new words (you can also learn and impress your friends as a side benefit.) One game is to take a word and create an entire short story from that one word.

Research a Topic with Them

Ask them to name a subject they would like to learn about and then work with them to research that topic and master it.

Read to Them and Have Them Read to You

Reading to someone forces a person to enunciate words correctly; being read to forces a person to use their imagination.

Play Games

Games, particularly if there is strategy involved, requires a high degree of concentration and thinking. Having a weekly game time also provides them with something to look forward to during the week.

Take Them to Bingo

Bingo sharpens the mind, focus and concentration. You have to stay alert the entire time the game is being played.

Play Mental Games

Remember as a kid on long car trips tracking how many different state license plates you saw? Play an iteration of that with your loved one.

Run through the alphabet with them and name friends or family whose last name starts with each letter. Start with the last name and when that is done, do the same with first names.

Ask Them about Current Events

Seniors generally tend to stay up on the news, even it is the national nightly news. Ask them about current events and engage them with a discussion about what is happening.

Also, ask them about news from the past; this will prompt their memory and you never know that you might learn in the process.

Keeping a senior’s mind sharp is as important as keeping their body in shape. The more you exercise the mind, the sharper it will be. The next time you are visiting your Augusta, KS, nursing home resident, make sure you work with them to exercise their mind and body!