Love to Move

Love To Move was designed by the British Gymnastics Foundation who worked closely with gymnastics experts and Sport & Exercise professors from Japan who had previously developed and delivered a cognitive enhancement gymnastics program on behalf of the Japanese Government.

The Japanese programme, led and designed by Professor Araki Tatsuo of the Nippon Sport Science University in Tokyo, was commissioned to improve the conditions of life for people who are living with dementia. It was so successful that it is now completely state funded and every care home in Japan currently benefits from this activity.

Working with Professor Araki Tatsuo, the British Gymnastics Foundation adapted the program and further developed it to include many more activities and strategies which are proven to be effective for the increased well-being of people living with dementia and other neurological conditions. In the UK, the programme receives significant government funding to support the development of Love To Move across the country.

Love To Move’s unique selling point is that the activities undertaken are designed specifically to increase cognitive reserve (cognitive reserve is the idea that people develop a reserve of thinking abilities during their lives and that this protects them against losses that can occur through ageing and disease, in other words, your brain’s ability to improvise and find different ways of completing a task).

The programme contains movement patterns that improve bilateral coordination. These are movements that require both (bi) sides of the body (lateral) to coordinate together in order to complete a task. These are several categories of bilateral coordination and continuing to integrate these categories in the Love To Move programme can support cognitive function for everyone, not only those who are already living with dementia.

Love To Move is not a regular exercise class. Each element of the programme has a purpose and is carefully choreographed with music. Each exercise segment is selected to work on different parts of the body, and most importantly, on different parts of the brain. Research carried out by Age UK found that improvements were noted in individuals when the session was repeated on a once-a-week basis. Benefits could sometimes be seen after one or two sessions, however, most impact was found after participants had taken part for three to four months.

The programme has been tried out in several UK care homes, and research has found the following benefits for participants:

• Boosts cognitive function
• Significantly improves walking speed and balance
• Reduces depression in participants
• Improves the ability to undertake day-to-day activities

Before you decide if this programme is for you or your loved elder, you need to ensure the following:

1. That a family member or carer is present at home with the elder who is participating in the sessions. He or she will be guided on how to carry on with these activities after the booked sessions are over as benefits are seen the longer a person engages with the Love To Move routines.
2. That your loved one is fit to participate in these sit-down activities (you will be required to sign a Fit To Participate form prior to the commencement of the programme).
3. Preparation of a safe and suitable location in your home for conducting the sessions.
4. Ensure that your loved one is ready and on time for each session.

1. After you agree to the terms in the Fit To Participate form, you book a package of three sessions HERE. Sessions are designed to be carried out once a week for three consecutive weeks on the same date and time.
2. Personalized, one-to-one sessions will be conducted with the participant. Depending on the individual, sessions can range anywhere from 45 minutes to a maximum of 1.5 hours.
3. The family member or carer who will be present for these sessions will learn how to carry on conducting these sessions with the participant in my absence with the help of a Love To Move video which I will supply at the end of the package period. As my mission is to reach as many seniors as possible, training a family member or carer on how to conduct these sessions at home by themselves is the only way I can spread the benefits of Love To Move