[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.
- [For Seniors] Recommended Rhythm Play and Exercises
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable and Healthy Chair Stretches!
- [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 (1–10)
Autumn Song Calisthenics
Autumn is the season when it starts to feel chilly, isn’t it? It’s also a time when older adults may feel reluctant to move their bodies.
So how about trying a singing exercise with an autumn theme? If it’s a seated singing exercise, even seniors who find standing difficult can participate.
Autumn songs include pieces like “Tsuki” (The Moon) and “Donguri Korokoro” (Acorns Rolling).
By singing them during exercise, older adults can also get a sense of the season’s atmosphere.
In addition, exercising while singing can help activate the brain and relieve stress.
If you’d like, please use this as a reference and give it a try.
Apple Song Exercise
Let’s start an enjoyable exercise session to a familiar tune.
This time, we’re using the classic old favorite, ‘Ringo no Uta’ (The Apple Song).
Avoid sudden, sharp movements, but make large motions—bending, stretching, and twisting—without overexerting yourself, and you’ll feel great afterward.
It may look like a gentle routine, but it’s actually quite a well-rounded set of movements.
In fact, it might be the kind of exercise that today’s younger people could find hard to keep up with.
15-minute lunchtime exercise
In many senior care facilities, some may incorporate exercise as a daily lunchtime routine.
However, doing exercises every day can make them feel repetitive.
So here are some seated exercises you can try.
Let’s get the body moving by touching knees and elbows, lifting the hips slightly from the chair, and more.
While seated, you can move not just your hands and arms but your whole body.
Long exercise sessions can be tiring for older adults, so about 15 minutes seems manageable.
Try it while taking breaks as needed.
[For Seniors] Fun Chair Exercises (11–20)
Matsuken Samba IIKen Matsudaira
Let’s get moving to Matsudaira Ken’s signature song, “Matsuken Samba II,” well known from period dramas.
While the song is strongly associated with light, nimble steps, when doing it as an exercise, it’s best to focus on the fun and the rhythm.
Even a simple motion like swinging your hands left and right will engage your arms when matched to the sprightly beat.
By combining choreography inspired by the lyrics with stretches for the neck, arms, and more, you get a well-balanced routine that works the whole body.
Chair exercises in April
As the warm weather sets in, many older adults may feel like moving their bodies and becoming more active.
This time, we’re introducing chair exercises themed around April that you can do indoors.
While seated, reach your hands forward as if you’re catching cherry blossom petals.
We’ll also do some brain training that recalls food stalls at cherry blossom festivals, along with exercises to strengthen your muscles.
By doing exercises and brain training related to April, older adults can get a sense of the season.
And because these exercises are done while sitting in a chair, many older adults can take part.
365-Step March Exercise
This is about moving your body energetically to the rhythm of Kiyoko Suizenji’s song “365-Step March.” By matching the powerful yet steady tempo characteristic of a march, you can put real strength into the exercises.
The routine mainly involves moving the upper body while seated in a chair, and by keeping proper posture in mind, it can lead to a full-body workout.
Incorporating steps and hand claps, and even singing along as you go, will make it more enjoyable to move—highly recommended.
Cognicise with the Frog Exercise
Sit in a chair and move both your hands and feet.
Because you can move your whole body without strain, this helps improve blood flow and can prevent or reduce swelling.
While doing the exercises, keep your fingers spread wide in a “pa” (open-hand) shape.
Moving your legs and other parts while keeping your fingers in this open shape helps activate the brain.
Cognicise is also called dual-task exercise.
Dual-task exercise refers to doing more than one thing at the same time, such as thinking while you exercise.
Doing two things simultaneously is said to stimulate the brain and activate it efficiently.
Gradually increase the difficulty, and don’t worry about making mistakes—just keep your body moving.