Love to Move for adults in Shoreham and Steyning

What is Love to Move

Love to Move is a new and exciting age and dementia friendly exercise to music programme and is designed to get people moving and functioning better.

The programme achieves this by carefully integrating the use of gymnastic foundation skills, cognitive stimulation therapy and social interaction activities.

Almost every part of Love to Move is based on bilaterally asymmetrical movement patterns. This is understood to benefit older people and those with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

This supports by enabling the left side and right side of the brain to process information independently thus improving cognitive function, coordination and the ability to carry out activities of daily living more independently.

Love to Move programme benefits

The Programme has a demonstrable benefit in the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects of older people, and those older people having mild to advanced forms of dementia appear to benefit the most. This research was conducted by Age UK, June 2016.

In Japan, where the programme was developed, it has been found that people participating walk better and quicker.

“Most important is about having fun to the tunes of the 1950’s and 1960’s. You really see a difference in people’s wellbeing as they leave the class uplifted”.

From Alzheimer’s society to keeping fit

Performing bilaterally asymmetrical movement patterns may be important in increasing your brain’s cognitive reserve. An increased cognitive reserve makes our brains more resilient to the effects of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. With an increased cognitive reserve, your brain should be able to process everyday tasks more easily as the brain will utilise many more neurons and work more efficiently. The Alzheimer’s Society say there is increasing evidence that building up cognitive reserve over time can reduce the risk of developing dementia (alzheimers.org.uk).

How love to move benefits healthy ageing

Research published in 2016 on the original Japanese programme concluded that it significantly improves walking speed. The programme has also been shown to

• improve cognitive function
• help reduce depression in participants
• improve balance
• improve the ability to undertake activities

The Love to Move programme has helped some participants to use their hands again so they can feed themselves, do crafts, play bingo and socialise with friends and family. We've got some other great tips on keeping active which you can find in our information and support hub.