[For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body

stick throw

Recreational Care (04) “Stick Toss” [Stabilize the Core to Improve ADLs]

Throwing something is a great way to relieve stress, isn’t it? One activity I’d love for you to try is a recreation called “stick throwing.” You make it by rolling up a newspaper into a stick and securing it with tape, then tossing it into an empty cardboard box.

Unlike a ball, it may take a bit of technique to throw well, but that unique feel can be pretty addictive.

I introduced it using a cardboard box, but you can substitute a smaller box or even a bucket.

One extra tip: if you add a small weight—like some tape—to the tip of the newspaper stick, it becomes easier to throw.

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yamamoto

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Goo-Paa ExerciseNEW!

[Exercise for Seniors: Open-and-Close (Goo-Paa) Routine] Dr. Arai’s Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise — Recommended for brain training, dementia prevention, and care prevention. Please use it in care settings such as day-service centers. by FUKUKURU

A note about everyday movements.

Most of the times people extend their arms, it’s to grab something, so opening the hand wide pairs well with extending the arm.

Conversely, extending the arm in order to make a fist is something you hardly ever do in daily life, so unless you’re quite intentional about the movement, it’s hard to do well.

It’s just an exercise of making a fist and opening your hand, but depending on the combinations, it can be challenging even for younger people.

And if you combine it with stepping or other leg movements, it might even be for advanced practitioners.

Try enjoying it to your favorite music so it doesn’t become monotonous.

Rhythmic gymnastics with balls and castanetsNEW!

#rhythmic-exercise #gymnastics #day-service #Anshin-Day-Service-Center #Hiroshima-City #elderly #ball #flag

Let’s enjoy rhythmic exercises by stomping your feet to the beat and moving a ball up and down.

Because you move your body while engaging the senses—like hearing and sight—it’s also perfect for brain training.

If you’re doing it with a large group, you can vary the colors of the balls participants hold and have them exercise in turn to cues like “blue ball” or “pink ball.” Like a dance event at a sports day, it can create a sense of unity and make it more fun than simply doing exercises.

It might also be nice to have the older adults themselves keep the rhythm with castanets.

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sasashina

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Exercise Song Collection: Masterpieces of the Showa Era

Seated rhythm and singing exercises! Let’s exercise to classic hits from the Showa era!

This is an exercise done while seated, moving your body slowly yet deliberately to various classic Showa-era songs.

For “March of 365 Steps,” use big hand movements and marching steps; for “North Country Spring,” switch to finger exercises—change the movements with each song.

As the songs change, the size of the movements will also change, so it’s important to stay mindful of which part of the body to focus on.

While enjoying the rhythm of the music, the most important thing is to concentrate on moving each specific part of your body.

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kappamaki

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Dual-task exercises

Let's try the 'Clear Your Head' dual-task exercise!

Performing two actions at the same time is called a “dual task.” For example, cooking while watching TV or taking notes while talking on the phone.

When you perform two actions simultaneously, various areas of the brain become activated to organize the information needed for each action.

This time, we will introduce exercises that intentionally incorporate dual tasks by combining multiple movements.

By stimulating the brain, these exercises may help prevent cognitive decline.

They can be done either standing or sitting, making them a great option for recreational activities in senior care facilities.

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kojifumi

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Rhythmic gymnastics with a ball

Perfect for the coming season! Full-body warming rhythmic exercises using a ball [Senior Exercise]

Let’s use a ball to move the whole body and warm up.

It’s also great as an exercise for the cold season.

Sit on a chair, bounce the ball on your knees, and open your arms while holding the ball.

Let’s also add a brain-training element.

Bounce it on your knees, then raise one hand high holding the ball, and from there, grasp the ball with both hands at chest height.

Some people may find it hard to think and move the ball at the same time, but it’s said that feeling challenged helps activate the brain.

Try to gently push yourself—like making the movements larger or doing more dynamic ball exercises—within a comfortable range.

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Nakajima Junko

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Hometown: A song-and-exercise routine that livens things up with three movements

Sing-and-Move Exercise That Gets Everyone Excited with Just '3' Movements (2): Children's Song 'Furusato'

Move your hands to the melody of the children’s song “Furusato,” and stimulate your brain not only through the hand movements but also by visualizing your hometown.

The flow is two claps followed by forming a number with your hands, thinking ahead to the next number while keeping the rhythm of the song in mind.

After making a 5 with both hands, the count returns to 1, so this is where you should focus carefully and aim for smoother movements.

Once you get used to it, we also recommend increasing the speed to further improve concentration.

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kappamaki

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