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 for Wheelchair Users Too (171–180)
Oral exercises that also serve as brain training
This exercise adds a physical movement element to the usual mouth exercises, creating a brain-training effect by thinking about combinations.
The basic movement is large marching steps, and each time the step count reaches a multiple of three, you pronounce the syllables “pa-ta-ka-ra” in order.
While firmly counting your steps and considering which numbers are multiples of three, let’s move the body and activate the brain at the same time.
When attention shifts to the body’s movements and counting, the “pa-ta-ka-ra” pronunciation can become quieter, so it’s also important to encourage clear, distinct articulation.
Brain training! Towel rock-paper-scissors
Like the game “Hit-and-Cover Rock-Paper-Scissors,” this towel rock-paper-scissors trains your reflexes and your brain.
Spread a towel on the table and sit facing your opponent.
Play rock-paper-scissors; if you win, pull the towel toward yourself.
If you lose, hold the towel down firmly so it can’t be taken.
As the game heats up, people often mix up what to do with the towel when they win or lose, which in turn stimulates the brain even more.
Since it’s an exercise you do with someone else, it also encourages communication and lifts your mood!
Great for brain training! Recommended for recreation too: hand and foot exercises
This is a recreation activity where everyone forms a large circle and passes a ball around inside the circle.
The person throwing the ball can strengthen their shoulder and arm joints, while the person catching it can train their focus and dynamic visual acuity.
If you make it more challenging by adding variations—like incorporating footwork when throwing—you can also gain brain-training benefits from planning movements.
Playing music and having participants pass the ball in time with it can make it easier to find a rhythm.
There are various tips, such as keeping the shoulders and arms moving smoothly and getting a feel for the rhythm, so offer advice as you go and let everyone enjoy passing the ball.
Brain Training Ball Exercises
This exercise focuses on how you move the ball, training not only the body but also stimulating the brain.
You start by alternately repeating the motion of grasping the ball from above and from below, then add movements of the hand without the ball and the feet.
Changing the position where you grasp the ball requires quickness and grip strength, so if that part is difficult, it may be better to switch to a different motion, such as simply squeezing the ball.
What’s most important is performing different movements with both hands and both feet, so proceed in a way that doesn’t place strain on the body.
Arm and core exercises
For older adults, strengthening the core is very important for walking with confidence and for maintaining internal organ health.
In addition to moving your arms by holding a towel with both hands and stretching it up and down and forward and back, let’s also train the core.
For example, hold the towel above your head and lean your body to the left and right; keep your arms extended forward while holding the towel and twist your waist side to side; or make a rowing motion like paddling a boat.
Simply holding a towel and extending your arms is exercise, but if you add a movement that requires a bit of balance, you’ll build a healthier body.
[For Seniors] Enjoyable exercises you can do while seated—fun for wheelchair users, too (181–190)
Exercises recommended for improving the stability of sit-to-stand movements and walking
These exercises use a ball to train smooth lower-body movements in the knees, ankles, hips, and more.
By focusing on how you engage your lower body, you can improve everyday walking stability and make standing up easier.
Using a ball also helps you clearly feel which areas should be activated and which muscles are working—an important benefit.
However, when focusing on the ball, some people tend to bend at the waist as if peering down at it.
Be mindful of maintaining correct posture and proceed in a way that doesn’t strain your body.
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.