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 exercises done while seated—also suitable for wheelchair users (11–20)
Leg exercises with beanbags
Here’s a foot exercise you can do indoors using beanbags.
Sit in a chair and place one beanbag on your knee.
Do a marching motion with the leg that has the beanbag on it.
Start with one leg, then gradually try placing beanbags on both legs or increase the number of beanbags.
Not only does this work as a foot exercise, but keeping the beanbags from falling while you march also helps improve concentration.
Because it doesn’t require heavy objects and can be done while seated, it’s recommended for older adults as well.
When the weather turns warm, you feel like moving your body, right? This simple indoor beanbag foot exercise is an easy way to get started.
Lower-body exercises with a rubber ball
Older adults tend to have difficulty lifting their feet while walking, so make a point of lifting your feet to help prevent falls.
This time, we’ll use a rubber ball that you can get at a 100-yen shop for some exercises.
Prepare a ball about the size of a dodgeball or volleyball.
While seated in a chair, hold the ball in front of your body and lift your thigh to touch the ball with your knee.
Another exercise is to place the ball on the floor, rest one foot on it, and rotate it in circles without letting your foot come off.
These exercises are designed to consciously practice lifting your feet.
Exercises while singing
For preventing falls when elderly people walk, it’s important to make sure the toes are lifted.
If you straighten your back and take long strides, your toes naturally point upward when you land, and your heel touches the ground first.
This time, we’ll do a healthy exercise routine while singing the well-known children’s song “Tenohira ni Taiyo wo,” which was also featured on NHK’s Minna no Uta.
It’s a full-body exercise that uses the arms, shoulders, hips, and from the ankles to the toes, but it can be done while sitting in a chair, so you can take it slow and enjoy it along with the song.
Bean-Throwing Exercise
February brings Setsubun season, doesn’t it? Here’s an introduction to a seated “Bean-Throwing Exercise” perfect for this time of year.
You do the moves to the children’s song “Mame-maki.” Pretending to throw real beans—raising your arms high and swinging them—gives your upper body a good workout.
It can also be fun to imitate an ogre’s facial expressions or try wearing a mask.
Be aware that actual bean throwing can pose a risk of accidental ingestion for older adults.
But with the music-based “Bean-Throwing Exercise,” you can enjoy it safely!
Goo-Paa Exercise
When your muscle strength declines and it becomes hard to stand for long, exercising can start to feel like a chore.
That’s why we recommend the “Open–Close Hand Exercise” (Goo-Paa Taiso) for wheelchair users as well.
Unlike the recreational version done by opening and closing your hands in front of your chest, this one has you move your hands beside your face or over your head.
This helps loosen the muscles in your arms and shoulders and can also help build strength.
Since it isn’t a heavy lifting workout, it’s something you can keep up for a long time.
Place your right hand open (paa) beside your face and your left hand closed (goo) at your chest, then alternate.
Once you get used to it, add variations such as a closed hand over your head and an open hand beside your face.
Because it only uses open and closed hands, it’s an activity everyone can enjoy together.
Song Exercise
This song exercise features only songs recommended for winter.
Snow, Campfire, and North Wind Boy Kantarō—aren’t they all nostalgic tunes you heard as a child? Here we introduce a Goo-Choki-Paa exercise you can do while singing these popular children’s songs.
It can be done seated, so it’s reassuring from a safety standpoint for older adults.
Since many movements involve using both the upper and lower body, it helps strengthen you both physically and mentally.
You can also express actions like opening and closing your hands with your fingertips, which should provide good stimulation for the brain.
[For seniors] Enjoyable chair exercises, also suitable for wheelchair users (21–30)
Towel exercise: leg pull-through
Here’s an idea for a towel exercise called “leg thread.” Try this to improve your seated stability.
All you need is one towel.
Hold one end of the towel in each hand and, while seated, thread your legs through the towel.
If maintaining balance while sitting is difficult, it’s helpful to lean against a wall or have someone support you.
As you get used to the movement, shorten your grip to increase the difficulty.
The key is to train enjoyably within a comfortable range without overdoing it!