LINE GROOVES – 1-Hour Class
Engages your students with a fun, whole body dance-based brain builder.
Expert Opportunity! Invite a colleague or volunteer with expertise in movement or dance to co-lead the class.
Welcome to today’s class! Our topic is “Line Grooves.”
Our TBH Blueprint focus is the “Move It!” action point.
Staying physically active is an important way we can keep our brains healthy. Dancing is a wonderful form of aerobic exercise that has added brain benefits – we’ll learn more about that today.
We will be working on the following thinking skills today:
Refer to the Welcome to the TBH Course for a more complete introduction.
We are going to start with a great warm-up for our bodies and brains called TBH Let’s Get It Started.
It is a wonderful way to get us ready to focus and learn together. We’ll do this right at our seats at the beginning of every class. Just watch what I do and follow along!
(At end of warmup) Great job, everyone! We are started up and ready to go!
FEET GET STARTED!
LEGS GET STARTED!
ARMS GET STARTED!
VOICES GET STARTED!
BREATH GETS STARTED!
Click to open the TBH Let’s Get It Started! playlist.
Click for the TBH Let’s Get It Started! complete guide.
Let’s move to today’s topic, “Line Grooves.” We know that being physically active is good for our well-being. But certain exercises may have added brain benefit. These are workouts where we have to move and think at the same time, known to researchers as “complex ideo-motor activities.”
Dancing is a great example of this kind of workout. When we dance, we have to use our brains and our bodies at the same time. Research has found that learning the steps of a dance routine can help improve memory.
Also, when we dance, we have to think fast so that we can keep up with the music, or with the steps.
Finally, dancing is usually something we do with others. We know that being social is great for our thinking and also helps us feel happier. And when we feel happy and sure of ourselves, we can feel more confident.
Let’s get our “groove” on! This workout gives us the chance to try some dance moves together. And it’s fun! Here’s what we are going to do. We are going to break into two groups and line up facing each other. Let’s do that now. Find your dance partner. They are the person in the other group you are facing right now! Can everyone see who their dance partner is?
I’m going to play some music. Then I’m going to do a dance step down the aisle (demonstrate). When I get to the end, the first pair of dance partners is going to dance down the aisle, doing exactly what I did. When they get to the end of the aisle, the next pair will go. Let’s just make sure we keep a safe distance from each other while we are on the move!
After everyone has had a turn, I’ll do a new dance step. The first pair of partners will follow again, then the second and so on. Any questions?
(At end of workout) Let’s give ourselves a great big hand, everyone! We really got our groove on!
SUGGESTED “LINE GROOVE” MOVEMENTS
That was wonderful, you all have some amazing moves! Isn’t it great to know that dancing and just having fun together is so good for your brain? And for our overall well-being?
Here is a TBH Take This Home card for this class. It will remind you what we learned together today. It’s a fun reminder to play some music every day and just dance. It’s something you can do on your own, but even better if you invite a friend to “boogey” along with you, in person or even over video!
Can we each name one thing we learned today?
Let’s wrap up with “TBH Take a Breath.” Being mindful and sharing some positive thoughts gives us a chance to think about what we have learned together and how we can use it in our daily lives. Research shows that mindfulness practices like this supports brain health when living with dementia. And it is a wonderful way to end our time in class together.
I feel relaxed.
I am grateful for my body.
I am grateful for my dancing feet.
I am grateful for my friends.
I am grateful for myself.
Click for the TBH Take a Breath music playlist.
Click to open the TBH Take A Breath complete guide.
TBH TAKEAWAY HANDOUTS
Download and provide your students with the following handouts.
Class 4 TBH Take This Home Cards. Use the Class 4 TBH Take This Home cards for the TBH Takeaway closing activity. Print out enough copies of the cards so that each class member has one to take home. Print the cards two-sided and in color. Cut them apart. If possible, laminate the cards for easier handling and durability. If you’d like, punch a hole in the card and provide a small mountable hook so students can keep the cards in a visible spot at home. If needed, email the cards to distance learners.
OTHER RESOURCES
TBH Line Grooves Playlist. Suggested songs for your TBH Line Grooves workout.
Physical Activity and Exercise. Alzheimer’s Society.