Summary of exercises for seniors: introducing preventative care movements by body part.
To stay healthy in both body and mind for as long as possible, preventive care is essential.
Whole-body training is effective for preventive care.
In this article, we introduce exercises for older adults, organized by body part.
Since there are exercises that work the entire body from the neck to the toes, we recommend doing different body parts on different days.
Be careful not to try doing everything at once, as it may tire you out.
Use this article to help maintain the health of older adults.
Summary of exercises for older adults: introducing preventive care workouts by body part (1–10)
Foot training using a ball
These are lower-body exercises performed while sitting in a chair using a ball.
A major advantage of using a ball is that it makes it easier to understand how to engage your muscles.
In the exercise where you hold the ball between your knees and slowly squeeze it, you can help improve bow legs (O-legs) and strengthen the pelvic muscles.
In the exercise where you place the ball on the front of your thigh from above and slowly lift your leg, it promotes pelvic stability and can also improve walking.
If you can’t apply enough force to compress the ball, it’s recommended to switch the ball for something with less rebound, such as a floor cushion, and perform the exercises.
calf exercises
This exercise strengthens the calf muscles by focusing on correct posture and muscle movement.
Building the calves can help you walk more smoothly and may also promote blood circulation.
Use a support such as a chair to avoid falling, and perform a movement that raises and lowers your heels.
A key point is to lift your whole body straight upward, so be sure to maintain proper posture.
If you’re not sure whether you’re doing it with correct form, external assistance or advice can be very helpful.
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?
Respiratory muscle training
This is a stretching routine that focuses on which muscles you use when breathing and helps you improve so you can breathe more deeply.
By improving breathing, which tends to become shallow with age, it can lead to better blood pressure and blood oxygen levels.
Start by placing your hand on your chest and taking deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, while paying attention to your breathing and checking how your chest expands as you inhale.
Once you get a feel for deep breathing, incorporate that breath while stretching your neck and shoulders.
As your breathing improves, tense muscles will also loosen, so you can expect a relaxing effect as well.
stick exercises
Let’s try some exercises to loosen up your body using a handmade stick rolled from a newspaper! Gently relaxing the whole body activates the brain and can help prevent dementia.
Using a stick for exercises allows older adults to move safely within a comfortable range.
If you place three colored tape markers on the newspaper stick, each exercise becomes easier to perform.
Let’s loosen up the whole body without strain—stretch your back, lift your legs, and mobilize your shoulders.
It’s also perfect for group rehabilitation, so it could be easily incorporated into activities at care facilities.
Shoulder exercises
As we get older, do you find your back hunching and your shoulders getting stiff? By moving the muscles around the shoulders, you can boost blood flow and potentially relieve shoulder stiffness and neck pain, as well as improve posture.
These shoulder blade exercises can be done while seated, so they’re easy for older adults to try.
They include raising and lowering the shoulders, rolling the shoulders, and moving the shoulder blades up and down or opening and closing them.
You don’t have to do the entire routine—feel free to start with the movements that are easiest for you, depending on how you’re feeling.
Arm exercises
They say that as we age and our physical abilities decline, having trained upper limbs can help us sit up and stand up more smoothly.
With that in mind, why not incorporate arm exercises—also effective for preventing the need for long-term care—into your daily routine? While seated in a chair, you can train both pushing and pulling strength in your arms.
There are also many simple movements you can easily include in everyday life, so it might be helpful to consciously use your arm muscles during daily activities.