Let's extend our healthy lifespan! Care exercises to stay active and energetic forever
As we get older, it can become harder to move our bodies, and we may feel our stamina declining.
Some of you might be thinking, “I want to take preventive steps before my body becomes less mobile.”
In this article, we introduce exercise routines for elderly adults to help maintain a healthy body!
We’ll cover a wide range of exercises—from simple routines you can do while seated to slightly more challenging ones.
Use these ideas as fun ways to extend healthy life expectancy, perfect for day services or recreational activities in care facilities!
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Let's extend our healthy life expectancy! Care exercises (11–20) to stay active forever
Kiyoshi’s Zundoko Song
One of Japan’s leading enka singers, Kiyoshi Hikawa.
Many of you are probably fans of his, right? With that in mind, we’d like to introduce a fall-prevention exercise routine that uses his song “Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi.” In this routine, you sway both hands to the rhythm and touch various parts of your body.
The movements are simple, and you can do them either standing or seated.
Try it out to the music and have fun! Shouting a lively call at the end is another entertaining touch.
Donpan Exercises
It’s an exercise where you move your body in time with the lyrics of the traditional Akita folk song “Donpan Bushi.” You move your hands to the sounds “don” and “pan,” aiming for light, agile body movement through rhythm-based actions.
The song is characterized by a progression in which more and more words are packed in, so it naturally draws your attention to bigger and quicker movements—another key point.
By changing the movement patterns or adjusting the tempo of the song, you can add variations that require thinking, which may also provide brain-training benefits.
Foot muscle training with a towel
An exercise to strengthen the muscles of the feet using a towel.
One appealing point is how easy it is—just prepare a towel.
Sit in a chair, spread the towel at your feet, and move it using your feet.
Focus on toe movements: pulling the towel toward you with your toes and folding the towel with your toes.
By paying attention not only to the overall muscles of the feet but also to the toes, you can improve the power of your walking.
If you’re not used to it, your toes may be hard to move at first, so take your time and get used to it slowly.
Posture-improving exercises using a towel
As we age, a forward-leaning posture—so-called hunching—tends to become more noticeable.
It’s said that hunching occurs as the back and chest muscles tighten over time.
When posture deteriorates, even just standing can be tiring, so exercises to correct posture are very effective! This routine uses a towel and simple movements, yet by continuing it you can expect improvements in posture.
All you do is hold a towel with both hands and move your arms forward and back, so it’s easy for older adults to try.
Why not incorporate it into activities at home or in senior care facilities?
balance cushion
Using a balance cushion—which is often used to train the core—let’s focus on body balance while strengthening the legs.
The standard approach is to stand on the balance cushion and perform a training exercise that stabilizes the body, bringing awareness to the entire leg.
However, since there is a risk of falling when doing this alone, make sure to create a setup where you can get off the cushion immediately, such as having someone there to support you.
If your strength is diminished and it’s difficult to maintain balance, it’s recommended to start with a seated exercise: sit in a chair and apply pressure to the balance cushion placed under your feet.
pedal pedaling
There’s a device that lets you focus on ankle and knee movement while applying downward force, similar to pedaling a bicycle.
By moving your feet alternately with an awareness of rotation, you can promote smooth joint motion, which can also help with walking.
If you want to focus on joint movement, it’s best to set a lighter resistance; if you want to focus on stepping force, a heavier resistance is recommended.
Being able to use it while seated is another key point—it’s convenient because you can train your legs while doing something else, and it also trains your concentration by performing two tasks at the same time.
Extend your healthy life expectancy! Care exercises to stay active forever (21–30)
Great for recreation, too! Newspaper-pulling exercise
This is a fun, chair-seated exercise using newspaper.
First, place a long strip of connected newspaper at your feet.
At the start signal, pull it backward.
Through the motion of moving the newspaper, you train the strength to press through your feet and the muscles that move the legs forward and backward.
Focusing on using your toes to grasp the newspaper is another key tip—and a great training opportunity.
If you do it as a race and focus on speed, it should also help improve explosive power.