The Joyce Cook Chair, Funded by the Joyce Cook Family, Blog to highlight flourishing in ageing, discuss issues and successes and invite dialogue.
Blog Post #1: Ronnie Gardiner
Hi all,
Ngaire Kerse here, welcome to the first Joyce Cook – Ageing Well blog post! For my first post I wanted to tell you a little bit about the Ronnie Gardiner Method (RGM). What a funny name for a music and movement programme! RGM is designed to be cognitively challenging and effective for people with neurological degeneration, stroke, and for maintenance of mood and function in older people. Ronnie Gardiner is a jazz drummer who wanted to give something back to the world. He’s 93 now and lives in Sweden; and his movement has spread to 19 countries. Here’s the picture of the latest training group with the middle person holding a picture of Ronnie. These new practitioners join about 40 practitioners that have been trained all around Aotearoa.
Multimodal activity like RGM is proven to reduce the risk of dementia, as it involves music, deciphering symbols on a chorescore, speaking words that are unfamiliar – like a new language, and moving with specific actions using all limbs. It is also very effective for lower leg strengthening and balance, so it can help to prevent falls. During RGM, both sides of the brain are stimulated, and the rhythm of the music causes excitations throughout many parts of the brain. As well as reducing the risk of dementia, RGM improves recovery after stroke, improves movement for people with Parkinsons’s disease and may be good for traumatic brain injury. Researchers think that RGM may work through harnessing the neuroplasticity of the brain.
What do you think? If you’re interested, have a look at the website – www.rgm-nz@auckland.ac.nz and find a practitioner, or sign up for training to become one. Stay tuned for more blog posts on ageing well, and please leave us a comment – we’d love to hear what you think.
Ngaire