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.
- [For Seniors] Easy and Fun Core Training
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- [For Seniors] Recommended Easy Strength Training
- For seniors: Enjoyable exercises done while seated, accessible for wheelchair users.
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- Energetic and Lively! Sing-and-Exercise Program for Seniors
- [Seated] Fun Health Exercises for Older Adults and Seniors
- [Recommended for seniors] Rejuvenating Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
- Let's extend our healthy lifespan! Care exercises to stay active and energetic forever
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- [For Seniors] Have Fun and Relieve Stress! Introducing Dances Everyone Can Enjoy Together
Summary of Exercises for Older Adults: Area-by-Area Introduction to Preventive Care Movements (11–20)
Exercises to Keep Your Legs and Back Strong Until 100NEW!
If you keep your legs and lower back healthy, you can stay active as you age.
So let me introduce exercises you can do while seated.
Start with stretches and warm-ups, then move on to brain-training exercises, followed by movements that help prevent falls and improve walking.
During the stretching, move your whole body to help it relax.
For the brain training, make different shapes with your left and right hands and switch them at the same time.
Once you get used to it, add marching in place.
In the final preventive exercises, focus on moving your legs.
10-Minute Health Exercises for Older AdultsNEW!
This health exercise engages your whole body while also training your brain.
It starts with alternating between lifting your toes and heels.
Next, you’ll combine two movements at once, such as swinging your arms and marching in place.
For the brain-training part, you move your body while counting numbers and clap on specific numbers.
Even doing the entire routine only takes about 10 minutes.
Since it can be done while seated, older adults can move their bodies without overexertion.
However, be sure to take proper breaks when you feel tired.
Five-minute exercises you can do while lying downNEW!
When you feel knee pain, you might think you shouldn’t move, but walking can sometimes make the pain worse.
That’s why I recommend this exercise you can do while lying down.
Lie on your back, bend your knees, open them, and alternately let each knee drop to the side.
Next, bring the soles of your feet together and move your knees up and down rhythmically.
You can also reduce the strain on your knees by stretching the backs of your knees and your glute muscles, and by making hip-circling movements.
It only takes about five minutes, so try to do it every day within a comfortable range.
5-minute oral exercisesNEW!
This is a training routine that helps prevent aspiration and choking, which often occur in older adults.
First, rotate your neck to stretch, then to strengthen the area around your mouth and inside the mouth, move your mouth deliberately while pronouncing “aaah” and “eeeh.” Next, puff out your cheeks and move your tongue.
Once you’ve finished everything, move on to the Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra swallowing exercises.
This exercise involves saying the four syllables “pa,” “ta,” “ka,” and “ra” out loud to strengthen the tongue and throat.
Start by saying “pa” five times in a row, then repeat it faster after you finish.
Do the same for the remaining syllables.
Pelvic floor muscle training performed while lying proneNEW!
This is a simple muscle-strengthening exercise done while lying face down.
Continuing this movement helps stabilize the pelvis and hip joints and strengthens the pelvic floor muscles.
Training the pelvic floor can help prevent urine leakage, relieve lower back pain, and ease PMS.
First, lie face down and bend both knees to 90 degrees.
Then bring your heels together and apart.
Key points: relax your body, and when closing your legs, engage your inner thighs and your pelvic floor.
Aim to do 10 reps every day.
At-home throat trainingNEW!
Throat decline doesn’t only make it harder to speak; it can also affect swallowing and lead to choking incidents.
To help reduce the risk even a little, here are some simple exercises you can do daily.
First, inhale for three seconds and exhale.
Next, consciously engage the muscles around your mouth and cheeks and move your mouth widely while saying “u” and “i.” Then continue with sticking out your tongue, varying your pitch, and swallowing a small amount of water.
These simple exercises are suitable for anyone, so please give them a try if you like.
Summary of exercises for older adults: region-specific movements for preventing the need for long-term care (21–30)
Tongue training at homeNEW!
Let me introduce some training to strengthen your tongue muscles and prevent accidental swallowing.
Start with sticking your tongue in and out, pronouncing “ra,” circling your tongue around the inside of your closed mouth, and pressing against your cheeks.
In the next stage, move on to actions many of us often did as children, like clicking your tongue and rolling your R’s.
As you get older, you may find that rolling your R’s is surprisingly difficult.
But if you practice every day, you’ll be able to do it, so don’t give up.
It’s an area where it’s easy to miss signs of decline, so take this opportunity to learn it well and train consistently.