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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Extend your healthy life expectancy! Care exercises to stay active forever (21–30)
Foot and brain training with numbers
Walking is said to be good exercise for your legs and to help activate the brain.
Here’s an excellent way to get both benefits.
It’s an exercise that uses a 60-centimeter square cardboard board called a “step board.” To make the board, simply divide the cardboard surface into eight sections and write the numbers 1 through 8.
Place the board on the floor, put your feet on it, and try stepping with one foot at a time in order from number 1.
It’s even more effective if you increase the difficulty by trying patterns like “odd to even, even to odd” or “random numbers.”
Brain Training Ball Exercises
This exercise focuses on how you move the ball, training not only the body but also stimulating the brain.
You start by alternately repeating the motion of grasping the ball from above and from below, then add movements of the hand without the ball and the feet.
Changing the position where you grasp the ball requires quickness and grip strength, so if that part is difficult, it may be better to switch to a different motion, such as simply squeezing the ball.
What’s most important is performing different movements with both hands and both feet, so proceed in a way that doesn’t place strain on the body.
Spring has come.
Doesn’t it sound refreshing to move your body to a bright, lively melody? That’s why I’d like to introduce a sing-and-exercise routine using “Haru ga Kita” (“Spring Has Come”).
A key feature is that you can do it while seated, focusing on simple movements like marching your feet and opening and closing your hands.
If you sing along as you do it, it’ll lift your spirits even more.
Once you get used to it, I also recommend trying a slightly faster tempo.
Give it a go together with friends and have fun!
Care prevention exercises to the tune of Kiyoshi’s Zundoko-bushi
These days, Kiyoshi Hikawa has been showcasing new sides of his charm to the public.
I imagine there are fans of Kiyoshi Hikawa among older adults as well.
And when it comes to his hit songs, “Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi” comes to mind, doesn’t it? It’s a tune known across many generations.
Let’s move our bodies to “Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi.” The key to exercise is consistency.
If the workout uses a song familiar to older adults, it might be easier to keep it up while having fun.
By all means, try singing along as you do the exercises.
Iki-iki Exercises: Tokyo Boogie-Woogie
It’s a routine designed to move and train various parts of the body in time with Shizuko Kasagi’s classic song “Tokyo Boogie-Woogie.” The key point is that the song’s tempo is light yet unhurried, so let’s proceed while carefully checking each movement.
It’s important to perform the motions accurately, but if you focus too much on that, your movements can become stiff—so enjoying the music is also essential for smooth motion.
By keeping proper sitting posture in mind as you go, you can further enhance the effectiveness of the movements.
Hanagasa Ondo, a dance performed with fans in hand
The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival is held in Yamagata during the summer.
As one of the four major festivals of the Tohoku region, it reportedly attracts about one million visitors from inside and outside the prefecture.
Dancers don hanagasa hats and perform along to the song “Hanagasa Ondo.” Why not try bringing this summer festival from Yamagata Prefecture into senior care facilities as well? You can substitute the hanagasa with a uchiwa fan for the dance.
Using a fan allows you to express movements that look graceful and elegant with either one hand or both.
The dance can be done while seated, and its gentle motions are likely to bring smiles to the faces of older adults.
Soran-bushi exercise
The Soran Bushi, a folk song from Hokkaido, is probably a song that many older adults have heard at least once.
These days, it’s often performed at school sports festivals as well.
Some of you may even remember watching your children or grandchildren dance to it at their sports day.
Let’s try doing some exercises to the familiar Soran Bushi melody.
Since the movements are done while seated, even those who find it difficult to stand can participate.
It would also be exciting for everyone to dance together at a summer festival.