Luis PenaMental Fitness Plus, a class at...

Luis Pena

Mental Fitness Plus, a class at Oasis Senior Center, offers seniors

an opportunity to keep their minds active and alert with several

mental exercises.

The four-week class is designed to stimulate the mind, energize

the body, increase vitality, deepen concentration and improve memory.

Among Mental Fitness Plus’ programs is Brain Gym, a

brain-readiness program developed by Dr. Paul Dennison and Gayle

Dennison at Brain Gym International. The program, which is used at

the beginning of the class, was first developed to help children at

schools with disabilities such as dyslexia, but it was later found to

be helpful to everyone.

“It’s using movement to access and wake up all parts of the

brain,” said Patty Royce, certified Brain Gym instructor and

co-instructor of Mental Fitness Plus.

Brain Gym helps relieve the effects of trying too hard, like

having mental blocks while trying to remember something.

“Another important part is that the movements help to relax the

body and the brain from unnecessary tension, and then the movements

are used to stimulate all parts of the brain for whole-brain

learning,” Royce said.

Brain Gym exercises help people who feel mentally or physically

stuck to learn movements to restimulate their bodies and minds, Royce

said.

One of the basic exercises used is cross-crawl, a new

opposite-hand exercise that teaches people to use both sides of their

brain and can be performed while either standing or sitting. The

exerciser touches one’s right hand to the left knee and vice versa to

force the use of both sides of the brain with each movement, Royce

said.

When tense, Royce said, people who need to get to the doctor often

can’t conceptualize the steps toward getting to the doctor’s office.

Once relaxed, patients see the big picture and the details that

comprise it and then can avoid missing appointments or being late,

Royce said.

Mental Fitness Plus also offers group participation activities,

which are designed to sharpen one’s attention, concentration and

memory. The group activities help students keep a positive attitude

after the Brain Gym exercises. Students tell a group story in a

circle and don’t realize they’re using their attention, concentration

and memory, Royce said.

Students must practice the exercises they learn in Mental Fitness

Plus classes every day to retain the exercises’ benefits, Royce said.

“We don’t give a lot of the technical stuff because they don’t

want to hear that,” said Diane Ryan, co-instructor of the class and

instructor in secondary and adult education at Coastline Community

College. “[They’re] just practical [methods] that help improve their

memory. We don’t consider it therapy if you have severe memory

problems.”

Corona del Mar resident Elaine Wilson, 84, said she has benefited

from taking the Mental Fitness Plus class in several ways. The course

has improved her reading comprehension, communication and vision, as

well as reduced her stress.

“I had to take a driving course and also a driving test, and

before I went to get my license, I did this, and it really helped me

tremendously,” Wilson said. “I just passed [the driving test] with

flying colors.”