[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] 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.
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- [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 (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!
Twisting exercise
In addition to weakening of the legs and hips, stiffness in the upper body—such as the sides of the torso and the spine—can also cause older adults to fall.
Normally, when turning to look behind, the body twists in order: head, upper body, hips, then legs.
However, if the upper body is stiff, the lower body twists first.
As a result, the head and upper body can’t keep up with the twist, which may lead to a fall.
This video explains the importance of keeping the upper body flexible and practicing twisting movements to prevent falls.
The exercises are performed while seated, so they can be done safely.
Goo-Paa Exercise
This is an exercise designed to stimulate the brain by performing different movements with both hands and feet.
By paying attention to the muscles while shaping the hands and moving the feet, you can also expect benefits such as smoother body movement and improved circulation.
You start with a simple motion—extending both arms forward—and gradually make it more complex by adding elements like hand shapes, the direction you extend your arms, and stepping.
The goal is to reproduce the specified movements as accurately as possible, but even if it doesn’t go perfectly, the process of thinking about the next movement serves as brain training, so keep challenging yourself without giving up.
Maintaining correct posture and moving each body part thoroughly are also important points.
Get pumped! Exercises to boost your reflexes and flexibility
These are exercises using a ball to develop smooth body movements and reflexes.
Before doing quick-movement exercises, loosen your joints thoroughly by moving the ball forward and backward or rotating the ball in your hands.
In the exercises where you move the ball to a rhythm, smooth movement that captures the tempo is important.
In another exercise, you toss the ball upward and add claps before it falls, which trains your reflexes and sense of balance.
By actively moving the ball and layering movements onto it, these exercises train not only your body’s motion but also your dynamic visual acuity.
Hand exercises that also help prevent falls
Extend one arm forward with the hand open, and place the other hand on your chest and make a fist.
While singing, switch this shape from one side to the other.
If you do this exercise standing, a key point is that it also draws your attention to posture.
It’s important to keep singing as you go; handling two tasks at once helps activate the brain.
If you switch the arm position and hand shape to the opposite in the middle, your attention instantly shifts to your hand shape, which also trains your decision-making.
By staying mindful of your posture and moving your body firmly, you can expect not only brain-training benefits but also muscle-strengthening effects such as fall prevention.
Bound cushion
To make walking smoother, it’s important to train both the ability to lift your feet and the power to step down.
Among foot training methods, this one focuses on developing your stepping power.
By repeatedly pressing down hard with both feet on a cushion that has a springy, rebounding structure, you can build that stepping strength.
The cushion’s size, which allows both feet to be placed on it, is also key—use it to pay attention to balancing the strength between your left and right foot.
If you concentrate on the instant of the step, you can train explosive foot power; if you let the compressed cushion return slowly, you can work on strength endurance.
Ball exercises: lower limbs
Here’s a ball exercise focused on the lower limbs that you can do while sitting in a chair.
First, place one foot on the ball to stimulate the sensations on the sole of your foot.
Next, slowly roll the ball forward, backward, and side to side to improve flexibility in your ankles, calves, hips, and more.
Then place the ball between your inner thighs, lengthen your spine, and slowly alternate squeezing and releasing.
This is effective for strengthening the inner thighs and stabilizing posture.
Because the movements are simple, you can continue without strain, and it also helps improve blood flow, prevent falls, and even support dementia prevention.
Try incorporating it into your daily routine with ease.
