[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
[Care Facility] Exercise activities everyone can enjoy: also for improving physical function, relieving stress, and preventing dementia (51–60)
walking exercisesNEW!
Here is a walking exercise suitable even for those aged 70 and over.
First, sit deep in a chair and extend one leg forward.
Keep the knee straight and point your toes toward the ceiling.
Then slowly lean your upper body forward to stretch the muscles along the back of the leg.
After that, alternate extending each leg forward and lifting the knees to mimic the motions of actual walking.
When you finish, gently rub both legs and take deep breaths to relax your body.
Incorporate this routine into your daily life to stay healthy and enjoy each day.
Sazae-san de TaisoNEW!
Sazae-san, which began as a newspaper comic strip in 1946, has been a beloved national anime since it started airing on television in 1969.
Let’s try a seated exercise routine set to the familiar Sazae-san theme song, which many older adults also know well.
The core movements involve marching your feet while moving both arms in big motions, so it should be easy to do without strain.
The cheerful, fun melody is sure to bring smiles.
Hum along to the song and enjoy the activity in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
Simple Exercises for Frailty Prevention: Beginner LevelNEW!
These are simple chair exercises to help prevent frailty.
While seated, place your hands on your hips and move to strengthen your pelvis.
Raise one arm at a time, round your back and lean forward—let’s focus on moving the upper body.
These exercises may help improve posture and reduce shoulder and lower back pain.
When exercising, it’s important to relax and keep a comfortable mindset.
Since these are seated exercises, try enjoying them while chatting with those around you.
It could also be a great opportunity to expand social connections.
Rhythmic exercises you can do even while seatedNEW!
Let’s do exercises using songs that are familiar to older adults.
If it’s a song or tune they know, they’ll likely enjoy moving to the rhythm.
These exercises can be done while seated, making them accessible for those who find standing or walking difficult.
If it’s a well-known song, exercising while singing along can also serve as a mouth exercise.
Doing it in a large group can provide opportunities for social interaction, such as community circles or hobby activities.
Through rhythm exercises, you may even see more smiles from older adults.
[Elderly Care Facility] Exercise activities everyone can enjoy: improve physical function, relieve stress, and help prevent dementia (61–70)
Ha-hi-fu-he-ho big laughter exercise
@grandmatatsuki Let's train your facial muscles! September 17 ‘Cute dayToday's Brain Training & Elderly Care Prevention Exercises: ◆◆ Ha-Hi-Fu-He-Ho Big Laughter Exercise ◆◆ - Train your facial muscles with “ha hi fu he ho”What day is it today?Everyday brain trainingtranslationBrain Training Exercise CreatorTranslationRecreationBrain trainingLecturelaughterCaregivingCertified Care WorkerOccupational therapistPhysical therapistRehabilitationLong-term Care PreventionFall prevention#Health ExercisesDementia preventionGymnastics#YouTuber#Care-Prevention YouTuberCaregiving EntertainmentCaregiving EntertainerDementia Prevention LecturePreventive Care LectureCaregiving LectureLecture for senior citizensOnline exercise class
♬ Original Song – Tatsu-baa – Tatsu-baa
This “Ha-Hi-Fu-He-Ho Big Laugh Exercise” is effective for stretching the facial muscles and improving oral function.
Every syllable in the H-row is linked to laughter, and they’re sounds you can’t pronounce without really engaging your core.
By performing this H-row laughter with exaggerated expressions, you loosen the facial muscles, enrich your expressions, lift your mood, and stimulate saliva production in the mouth, which brings positive effects to the body.
It’s a recommended exercise even for those who haven’t laughed extravagantly lately.
365-Step March Exercise
Kiyoko Suizenji’s “365-Step March” is a hugely popular song among seniors, isn’t it? This exercise routine is a rhythmic workout set to that classic tune.
Once the nostalgic melody starts, your body might naturally start moving.
The moves match the lyrics perfectly, focusing on marching in place and alternating your arms and legs forward.
You can do it seated or standing, so it’s nice to choose based on how you’re feeling.
Let’s extend our healthy life expectancy with this marching exercise that’s fun for both large and small groups!
Three facial muscle exercises
As we age, our emotions tend to flatten; we get less prone to intense anger or exaggerated laughter, and our facial expressions become less animated.
Some of you may relate to this.
Let’s free those emotions while doing a facial muscle workout.
First, place your forearms together from elbow to wrist in front of your face so your expression can’t be seen.
Then, as you open your arms, exaggerate the instructed expressions—angry, sad, smiling, and so on.
Speeding up the tempo makes it even more effective.