This is the English version of an article first published in Polish: read the Polish original. It refers to source material: Biblioteka Wilanowska. The text is our own commentary, not a translation or copy of that source.
Since June 30, every Tuesday at 10:00, a group of seniors from Wilanow has been gathering at the Main Library on ul. Kolegiacka 3 for a session that does not look like a typical library visit. Instead of quiet and page turning, there is movement, word association and counting out loud. The cycle is called Brain in Motion. Gymnastics for Brain and Body, and today, September 22, marks its second to last meeting.
The program runs for twelve Tuesdays spread across the whole summer, from June through July and August, all the way into September. The final session is scheduled for September 29, exactly one week from today. Each hour long session combines memory training built on associations and substitute words with simple memorization techniques such as memory chains, alongside concentration and attention exercises. On top of that comes training in movement and cognitive sequences, exercises that integrate the work of both brain hemispheres, elements of imagination work and gentle movement to support coordination and balance. Each session closes with breathing and relaxation techniques, so participants leave with both a trained mind and a relaxed body.
Where the funding comes from
The cycle is paid for through the Mazowsze dla Seniorow program, under which the Mazovian Voivodeship self government co finances projects submitted by senior councils. In this year's edition, the regional assembly decided in April to support 67 such projects across the whole region for a combined total of 2.5 million zloty, with a single project able to receive funding covering up to 80 percent of costs and no more than 40 thousand zloty. The same program has also funded excursions for Wilanow seniors this year and preparation for the Warsaw Seniors Olympics. Brain in Motion is another chapter of that same collaboration.
Registration for the cycle was taken by phone at +48 22 443 49 08 starting June 17, with a limited number of spots filled in the order registrations came in. Anyone who missed signing up still has one more chance to stop by the final session next week, though a spot is not guaranteed without prior registration. It is worth keeping an eye on the library's website, since a new autumn cycle for seniors usually gets announced not long after the summer break ends.