[Care Facility] Exercise activities everyone can enjoy: improve physical function, relieve stress, and help prevent dementia
Because exercise activities are a staple in care facilities, it can be hard to decide what content to include.
In this article, we introduce a variety of exercises that involve moving the body to familiar music for older adults, using props, and incorporating brain-training elements.
All activities can be enjoyed safely while seated, making them accessible to everyone and full of ideas that promote mental and physical refreshment and help maintain health.
Please make use of these ideas when planning exercise activities that older adults can enjoy comfortably and without strain!
- Summary of exercises for seniors: introducing preventative care movements by body part.
- Recommended simple exercises for recreational activities for the elderly
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [Seated] Fun Health Exercises for Older Adults and Seniors
- [For Seniors] Simple Rhythm Exercises: Recommended Songs and Routines
- [For Seniors] A Collection of Fun Classic Caregiving Activities
- [Elder Care Facility] Move Your Body to Relieve Stress! Exercise Activities You Can’t Help but Get Absorbed In
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- [For Seniors] Rehabilitation exercises targeting each body part: Introducing easy routines you can incorporate without strain
- [Care Facilities] A Sports Day Activity Guaranteed to Get Everyone Excited! Classic Events and Seated-Participation Activities
- For seniors: Enjoyable exercises done while seated, accessible for wheelchair users.
- [For Seniors] Stretching Exercises: Easy and Safe to Do
- [For Seniors] Exercises to maintain and improve lower-limb strength. Ideas that can be enjoyed by both large and small groups
[Elderly Care Facility] Exercise activities everyone can enjoy: improve physical function, relieve stress, and help prevent dementia (61–70)
Look younger with 7 face yoga exercises
As we get older, it’s only natural to worry about sagging and wrinkles.
So let’s give face yoga a try.
Here are seven movements to practice.
The first half focuses on rejuvenation, and the second half also stimulates the brain.
You’ll jut your lips forward, move them side to side, and move your eyes as well.
Each move is simple, so take your time and follow along.
The more seriously you do it, the funnier your face will look—so get ready for lots of laughs.
2-Minute Fascia Release to Erase Nasolabial Folds
You’ve probably heard the term “fascia release” at least once.
It’s a treatment that loosens adhesions and twists in the fascia covering the muscles to restore flexibility.
What I’m introducing today is a fascia release you can easily do at home that can make your nasolabial folds practically disappear.
After massaging both sides of your nose, next gently rock back and forth under the cheekbones to loosen the area.
Then press firmly with your thumbs on the outermost cheek muscles to release them.
As you relax the muscles across your entire face like this, you may find yourself naturally smiling.
Chair exercises to prevent economy class syndrome
When you remain seated for long periods without moving your legs, poor circulation can occur and your blood is more likely to clot.
Economy class syndrome is when a clot that forms in this way blocks an artery in the lungs and triggers various illnesses.
If you haven’t been in the habit of moving your body lately, why not start building a routine of leg exercises with these chair workouts? This program lets you move your legs easily while seated—such as toe lifts, marching, and knee lifts to strengthen the thighs—so it’s beginner-friendly.
It’s also easy to incorporate as a recreational activity in senior facilities, so please give it a try starting tomorrow.
Refreshed Face Yoga
No matter how old we are, the desire to stay youthful and not give in to sagging or wrinkles never changes.
To help with that, let’s do face yoga to refresh your face! First, hold both ears and rotate them in circles, then gently pull them sideways and up and down.
Next, make fists, place them around your cheeks, and massage.
If you find tight spots, loosen them within a comfortable range.
Do the same by massaging around your head.
After loosening the neck area as well, shape your index finger like a hook and massage along the jawline and the nasolabial fold area.
Once you’ve relaxed the area around your eyes, roll your shoulders and stretch around your chest to finish.
Bedtime stretches
Some of you may find that even though you’re tired, you just can’t fall asleep.
When the autonomic nervous system is imbalanced and the sympathetic nervous system is dominant, you’re more likely to experience insomnia.
At such times, it’s important to relax the body and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
So let’s ease your tense body with these perfect pre-bed stretches.
They can be done while seated, so even if standing is difficult, you can start today.
Take it slow and proceed little by little within a comfortable range.
Small Face Smile Exercise
Firming the facial muscles can not only make your face look slimmer, but may also improve swallowing function.
First, puff out one cheek at a time for 15 seconds, doing two sets on each side.
Next, hold your ears and gently pull them sideways and then up and down for 15 seconds each.
After that, close your eyes and then quickly open them wide, repeating this movement about twice.
Next, do a stretch by tilting your neck to the left and right for 15 seconds each, two sets per side.
Finally, alternate making the “u” and “i” mouth shapes.
It’s easier to do along with upbeat music!
Seated Walking Exercise
If you want to start doing something for your health but aren’t sure where to begin, this seated walking exercise is highly recommended.
Because it can be done while sitting, it’s safe to try for people who use a wheelchair or walk with a cane.
Warm up with hip and ankle mobility exercises, then move on in order to toe lifts, heel raises, and arm swings with marching.
Finish by moving your body more broadly with side steps.
You can take breaks as needed, which makes it easy to proceed without overloading your body.
Little by little each day, within a comfortable range, build a pleasant exercise habit!