[For Seniors] Liven Things Up With Different Left-Right Movements! Game and Exercise Ideas
It’s said that movements that differ between the left and right sides may help prevent dementia or slow its progression.
Doing asymmetrical movements or performing two tasks at the same time can help activate the brain.
Why not add some fun and try them as games?
In particular, this time we’ve gathered games you can play without any special equipment!
They’re easy to do, don’t take up much space, and anyone—men or women—can join in.
We’re also introducing exercises that incorporate asymmetrical movements.
Why not apply them to your games?
Even if you make mistakes with the movements, these games and exercises get everyone excited, so please give them a try!
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- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
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- [For Seniors] Extremely Effective Brain Training! A Fun Collection of Hand Games
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- [For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training
- For seniors: Enjoyable stick exercises. Easy workouts.
- Recreation Activities Effective for Long-Term Care Prevention for Seniors
[For Seniors] Liven Things Up with Different Left-Right Movements! Game and Exercise Ideas (21–30)
Fall-prevention exercises to the tune of ‘The Highland Train Is Coming’
We will introduce fall-prevention exercises set to the song “Kogen Ressha wa Yuku” (The Highland Train is Coming).
Sit on a chair and slowly lift your toes and heels to move your feet.
When raising your legs so they are parallel to the floor, it’s best to use a stable, fixed chair to avoid falling backward.
Move your legs as if walking, and slowly move your arms along with them.
When bringing your feet and arms back, do so slowly.
Let’s move our bodies to an upbeat song, have fun, and keep smiling.
Balloon volleyball box-in
This is a game where you use a handheld uchiwa fan to hit a balloon upward and try to get it into a box placed in the center of the table.
Because the box is positioned out of arm’s reach, your control over how you launch the balloon is really put to the test.
People closer to the box end up moving their hands more, so it’s best to have everyone try multiple rounds, changing the starting positions and the box’s position to keep the balloon circulating evenly.
You can also adjust the box’s size and height to change the difficulty and help players focus even more.
In conclusion
They were games and exercises featuring different movements on the left and right that seemed like they’d be exciting! Movements that differ between the left and right sides require both the brain and the body, and they are said to help prevent falls.
It also seems fun to adapt your usual exercises into a game-like style.
Please make good use of the asymmetrical movements and exercises we introduced this time.