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Remember a sequence and step it – Thinking and stepping training

Thinking and stepping training

Exercise 4: Remember a sequence and step it

Three colours are called out. You step them in the same order.

Aim

You hold a sequence in mind while you move. Your walking should stay safe even though your attention is on remembering.

Equipment in the practice

  • Four to six reaction lights that light up one after another
  • The app shows the length of the sequence
  • A chair with a backrest

Equipment at home

  • Four to six coloured sheets or adhesive dots
  • A second person to call out the sequence
  • A chair with a backrest or a clear wall

Setting up

  • Place four targets on the floor in a half circle in front of you.
  • The distance is about one stride.
  • Also number the targets 1 to 4 if you find colours hard to tell apart.
  • The chair is within reach of one hand.

How to do it

  1. Stand in the middle, feet hip width apart.
  2. The second person names three colours one after another, for example "green, blue, red".
  3. Wait until all three have been named.
  4. Step to the three targets in that order, returning to the middle after each one.
  5. The second person tells you whether the order was right.
  6. After each correct sequence one colour is added. After a mistake one is taken away.
  7. Eight sequences make one round. Do two to three rounds.

Three levels

Level 1: two to three items

Four targets. The sequence is two to three colours long. The second person may repeat it once. One hand rests on the backrest.

Level 2: four to five items

Six targets. The sequence is four to five colours long and is named only once. Your hand is free.

Level 3: backwards

You step the sequence in reverse order. Start again with three colours when you do.

If you practise on your own

Record the sequence on your phone and play it back. Or write down ten sequences on a sheet, read one, put the sheet away and set off.

Safety

  • Many people look up or close their eyes while memorising. Stand still while you do that and set off only once the floor is back in view.
  • Level 3 brings longer pauses between steps. Use those pauses to stand securely.
  • If you lose the order twice in a row, shorten the sequence by one colour.

Duration and dosage

Eight to ten minutes. Two to three times a week. This exercise suits the end of a session because it asks for little speed.

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