For seniors: Enjoyable exercises done while seated, accessible for wheelchair users.
In many senior care facilities, exercise is often incorporated as a form of physical recreation.
However, doing the same activity every day can become monotonous.
In this guide, we introduce exercises that older adults can enjoy and continue without getting bored.
We’ve also gathered safe, seated exercises for peace of mind.
These can be enjoyed by people who use wheelchairs or those who feel unsteady when standing.
From easy-to-start movements to exercises that offer a thorough workout, choose and practice according to the individual’s condition and specific concerns.
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable and Healthy Chair Stretches!
- [Seated] Fun Health Exercises for Older Adults and Seniors
- [For Seniors] Easy and Fun Core Training
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Recommended Rhythm Play and Exercises
- [Recommended for seniors] Rejuvenating Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- Cognicise you can do while seated. Simple dementia prevention.
- [For Seniors] Leg and lower-back training: Fall prevention
[For Seniors] Enjoyable Seated Exercises, Accessible for Wheelchair Users (61–70)
leg-pressing exercise
This is an exercise where you sit in a chair, cross your legs, and press them against each other with increasing force.
The lower leg moves upward while the upper leg presses downward, so you train different muscles in each leg.
After pressing against each other, switch the cross so both legs are worked evenly.
Support your body firmly with your hands to apply solid force, and keep good posture.
Repeat each cross several times, focusing on balance as you actively use your muscles.
Leg-raising exercise
This exercise involves placing a box in front of you while seated and alternately placing your feet on it to train the lifting power of your legs.
Because you do it while sitting, it should be easier than doing step-ups in a standing position.
A large box slightly lower than the height of the chair is recommended, and when you place your foot on top, pay attention to the movement in your hip joint.
Keep your hands at your sides to maintain posture, and focus on lifting firmly using only the strength of your legs.
Full-body workout you can do while seated
Exercises you can do while seated are easy to start and safe since there’s no risk of falling.
This routine is designed so you can get a full-body workout while staying seated, so please give it a try.
Begin with deep breathing, then stretch the areas that tend to get stiff.
Next, loosen up your lower back and hips.
After this warm-up, the exercises proceed from the upper body down to the lower body.
By the time you finish the whole sequence, you’ll likely feel as though you’ve moved your entire body quite a bit.
Please try it and make it a habit.
Autumn Song Calisthenics
Autumn is the season when it starts to feel chilly, isn’t it? For older adults, it can also be a time when moving their bodies feels like a chore.
In that case, how about trying a singing exercise with an autumn theme? If it’s a seated singing exercise, even seniors who find it difficult to stand can participate.
There are autumn songs like “Tsuki” and “Donguri Korokoro.” By doing exercises while singing, older adults can also get a sense of the season’s atmosphere.
In addition, exercising while singing helps stimulate the brain and relieve stress.
If you’d like, please use this as a reference and give it a try.
Pelvic floor exercises with stretching and strength training to prevent urinary incontinence
Here are some exercises you can do while seated to help prevent urinary incontinence.
First, stretch thoroughly to improve blood flow and enhance bladder function.
Next, tighten your urethra and anus as if you’re holding in urine or gas.
This movement strengthens the muscles around the urethra and helps return the internal organs to their proper positions.
Then, make fists with your hands and squeeze them from both sides with your knees.
This movement helps increase the strength to tighten the urethra.
Let’s also target the abdominal muscles.
Rounding your back as you exhale engages the upper abs, and sitting near the edge of the chair while lifting your legs works the lower abs, which may also help relieve constipation.
Don’t push yourself from the start—try these exercises at your own pace, little by little.
Urinary leakage exercises using a towel
Let’s strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to improve urinary leakage.
When the pelvic floor muscles weaken, the ability to tighten the urethra decreases.
Lifting something heavy or sneezing and coughing can increase abdominal pressure and lead to leakage.
Here is a pelvic floor exercise you can do while seated.
Sit in a chair, place a towel between your thighs, and squeeze.
As you exhale, squeeze the towel and focus on tightening your anal muscles as well.
Inhale and relax, and repeat 10 to 20 times.
Because it can be done while sitting, it’s an easy exercise for older adults too.
Pelvic floor exercises while sitting on a ball or chair
The more time we spend living our lives seated in chairs, the less we use the muscles around the pelvis, and gradually our muscle strength declines.
How about incorporating some training for the muscles around the pelvis into your daily routine? The method is simple: while seated in a chair, move your hips, focusing on smooth, dance-like motions.
Sitting on a balance ball is also recommended; it makes you more aware of your balance and helps train your whole body more effectively.