[For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
When it comes to recreation essential for the physical and mental health of older adults, exercise is at the top of the list.
Not only does it help prevent declines in stamina and muscle strength, but it’s also effective for preventing falls.
However, some seniors may find vigorous exercise difficult.
For those individuals, we recommend chair exercises that can be done while seated.
Moving rhythmically to music makes it enjoyable and easy to stick with.
What’s more, by stimulating the muscles and brain, these exercises can improve circulation and may help prevent conditions such as dementia.
Even those who aren’t confident about physical activity can enjoy these simple exercises, so please use them as a helpful reference.
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- [For Seniors] Easy and Fun Core Training
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Liven Things Up! A Collection of Brain Training Activities That Will Spark Laughter
- [Recommended for seniors] Rejuvenating Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
- For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
- Cognicise you can do while seated. Simple dementia prevention.
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- Energetic and Lively! Sing-and-Exercise Program for Seniors
- [Seated] Fun Health Exercises for Older Adults and Seniors
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
[For Seniors] Fun Chair Exercises You Can Do While Seated (71–80)
Slow aerobics with Momotaro
Many older adults are likely familiar with the folktale Momotaro.
There’s also a children’s song that tells the story of Momotaro, isn’t there? Let’s try moving our bodies to that song.
This is called slow aerobics, where you move gently in time with the music.
You can do the exercises standing, but they can also be done while seated.
It’s an easy routine for older adults who find standing difficult.
Through gentle, low-strain movements, it may also help you lead a more vibrant, fulfilling daily life.
Brown kobin hand clap
Let us introduce the brown Kobin hand-clap that follows the rhythm.
Clap on “Pan,” and take a rest on “Un.” The tempo changes a little partway through the rhythm.
The number of claps also changes to match the tempo.
Clapping along while listening to the rhythm helps refresh both body and mind and fosters communication with those around you.
It’s an activity you can enjoy while seated, so please give it a try.
It’s also recommended to use small instruments like bells while doing it.
Rhythmic gymnastics with bean throwing
Bean-throwing is one of the major events in February, isn’t it? Depending on the region, some people throw peanuts or edamame, but in Japan, people have traditionally done bean-throwing on Setsubun in February.
So, we’d like to introduce a rhythm exercise perfect for February: a bean-throwing themed routine.
Move your body to the children’s song “Mamemaki.” Sit in a chair and, while singing, extend your hands and feet forward.
An exercise with a bean-throwing theme can help older adults connect with the current season.
Also, using a familiar song makes it easier for many seniors to join in.
Fall-prevention exercises to the tune of ‘The Highland Train Is Coming’
We will introduce fall-prevention exercises set to the song “Kogen Ressha wa Yuku” (The Highland Train is Coming).
Sit on a chair and slowly lift your toes and heels to move your feet.
When raising your legs so they are parallel to the floor, it’s best to use a stable, fixed chair to avoid falling backward.
Move your legs as if walking, and slowly move your arms along with them.
When bringing your feet and arms back, do so slowly.
Let’s move our bodies to an upbeat song, have fun, and keep smiling.
Soran-bushi exercise
Let’s take part in the exercise while seated! Here are some ideas for a Soran-bushi exercise.
Warm-ups are important at the start of a sports day, right? How about trying a Soran-bushi routine to support your body, mind, and mental sharpness—and to help prevent injuries? The video features a “modern-style Soran-bushi.” Raise everyone’s spirits by singing together as one and dancing while focusing on the key points! Be sure to give it a try.
10-second continuous Pa-Ta-Ka-La game
This is a variation where participants challenge themselves to see how quickly they can pronounce each character.
Because these characters require large mouth movements, focusing on speed still leads to solid oral motor training.
Have them try each character in order and pay attention to which ones are easier to pronounce—this is also recommended.
The 10-second time setting is a key point: ask them to decide whether to say it all in one breath or to take a breath in the middle.
If you carefully count and report the number of repetitions, it can motivate them to pronounce more, which may lead to even more physical activity.
2-beat 3-beat game
This exercise involves moving your arms in large motions with different rhythms for each hand to thoroughly engage your arm muscles and brain.
Use a 3-beat rhythm for one hand and a 2-beat rhythm for the other, and focus on keeping each movement from slipping out of sync.
Because concentrating on the motions can disrupt your focus on rhythm, it’s also recommended to perform the exercise along with a children’s song or similar music.
Once you get used to it, try switching which arm does which rhythm or adding leg movements—these variations can further stimulate your brain.