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Vol. 27, No. 6
September ptember 2023
Northwest Edition R Reaching Seniors In Illiana: Cook, Lake & Porter Counties
Engaging Brains —
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Keeping your head in the game of life 7H[W DQG 3KRWRV %\ 67(9( (89,12 )HDWXUH :ULWHU It looks so simple, so basic. And yet it’s so important to good brain health. For one hour each week, participants in the Engaging Brains program at the Duneland Family YMCA put their cognitive skills to the test. They’re working on a math problem; doing word association; and “dancing” to music by Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte and early ragtime tunes. The aim of this program is to keep people ages 60-plus feeling younger longer. It combines dancing with engaging exercises to keep seniors happy and their brains healthy.
According to instructor Carlota Hursey, a cognitive simulation therapist, as people age, so do their brains. Also, older people may not be as active as in their youth. That inactivity, Hursey explained, impacts the brain. “We want to create a cognitive reserve,” Hursey said. “We want to awaken the neurons and keep the brain active.” The class, she continued, is designed to improve brain connections, increase the ease in performing everyday tasks, enhance moods and help seniors maintain their autonomy. Engaging Brains is part of the Active Older Adults offerings at the Duneland Y. Nancy Zlamal, AOA coordinator, is also a class member. “Not everyone is able to do
these activities,” Zlamal said. “Here, they can interact and laugh with other people.” Hursey, who keeps the class directed but lighthearted, noted, “This has made a difference in my life. I love to be here.” The point of the class, Hursey stresses to participants, is “you have to keep trying. Everything here is fun and you’re working your body. In this class, your brain has no time off.” That lack of time off extends to outside the YMCA, as Hursey includes homework in the curriculum. One typical worksheet involved one main image, with participants completing other images to match the main design. Following preliminary exercises, Hursey’s students sit in a
circle and engage in “movement and groovement.” They listen to different tunes and exercise different muscles while using their brain power. Music selections include “Hello Dolly,” “Banana Boat,” and, for those whose memory goes way back, “Twelfth Street Rag.” Hursey reminds students there is no right or wrong way to move and groove. “If you’re doing something different,” she said, “think of it as ‘doing a variation.’” This movement constitutes the biggest part of the class, Hursey said. “They’re working on their memory, focus, laterality, rhythm and different movements,” she explained. “Plus, there’s mood enhancement. There’s socialization. Continued on page 2
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