The Method
A cheerful, structured, multisensory exercise method for the brain — and so much more than rehabilitation.
The Ronnie Gardiner Method
The Ronnie Gardiner Method — RGM — was developed in Sweden in 1993 and has since spread to England, Israel, the USA, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Barcelona and beyond. It is a training and rehabilitation method that simultaneously activates several sensory pathways, stimulating different parts of the brain at the same time.
The method was originally developed for people with traumatic brain injury and injuries to the central nervous system as a result of stroke or Parkinson's disease. RGM is also used when working with children and adults with learning and concentration problems such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD, and with people experiencing burnout or depression.
The basic elements of the method are rhythm, music, movement and language, which activate several senses simultaneously in a playful way. The execution of the exercises is reminiscent of a kind of body percussion, in which the whole body is involved. Symbols specially developed for the method stand for various movements, accompanied by fixed sound names known as sound codes. The degree of difficulty can be individually tailored and gradually increased.
Train in the RGM About Ronnie Gardiner
Building new neural pathways
The goal of the RGM is to improve cooperation between the right and left hemispheres of the brain and to build new neural pathways. The method makes use of the widely recognised neuroplasticity of the brain — injured or disturbed processes are resumed through intensive multisensory stimulation.
Four elements, one method
RGM simultaneously engages four sensory pathways to drive neuroplasticity and whole-brain activation. This combination is what makes it uniquely powerful.
Rhythm and Music
Rhythmic music patterns engage the auditory cortex and motor systems simultaneously. The beat provides a neurological scaffold for movement, coordination and timing — anchoring the entire session.
Symbol Codes
Symbols specially developed for RGM activate visual processing and inter-hemispheric communication, training the brain to read and respond rapidly to visual information.
Body Percussion
Physical body percussion reinforces sensorimotor integration and spatial awareness, engaging the whole body and building proprioceptive awareness alongside motor coordination.
Movement
Movement codes coordinate bilateral brain activation, balance and motor control, building new neural pathways through repetitive, progressive and increasingly complex sequences.
The choreoscore system
At the heart of every RGM session is the choreoscore — a visual sequence of specially designed symbols displayed on a screen or chart. Participants follow the sequence while moving to rhythmic music, combining visual processing, motor response and auditory input simultaneously.
The symbols use a consistent colour code: red symbols represent the left side of the body, while blue symbols represent the right side. Each symbol corresponds to a specific body movement — such as clapping, tapping or raising a hand — and each has a unique name and sound that participants vocalise while performing the movement.
As participants progress, the choreoscores increase in complexity, challenging the brain to form new neural pathways. This process directly leverages neuroplasticity — the brain's remarkable ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning.
Each movement has a fixed sound name — known as a sound code — that participants say aloud as they perform the movement. This simultaneous vocalisation and physical action activates language, motor and auditory brain regions at the same time, making RGM uniquely powerful as a rehabilitation and brain training tool.
This consistent colour coding helps participants instantly distinguish left from right — a fundamental challenge in neurological rehabilitation — while the rhythmic structure provides the scaffold for coordinated movement.
Participants sit or stand in a group facing the choreoscore display
The practitioner leads the sequence to rhythmic music
Participants follow each symbol — moving and vocalising simultaneously
Difficulty is adjusted individually — sessions are both challenging and enjoyable
As skills develop, choreoscores increase in complexity to maintain the brain challenge
Through its elements, RGM stimulates
Research has demonstrated improvement across a wide range of cognitive, physical and social outcomes for participants of all ages and conditions.
RGM on video
Watch the method in practice, hear from Ronnie Gardiner himself, and see the science explained by leading researchers.