Recommended simple exercises for recreational activities for the elderly
We’d like to introduce some recommended exercises perfect for recreation at care facilities such as day service centers, or any place where seniors gather!
Many older adults find it difficult to move their legs and lower back freely, and standing can be a challenge.
However, if you avoid moving your body altogether, your mobility may decline further, increasing the risk of falls and becoming bedridden.
In this article, we’ve gathered simple exercises that seniors can do with ease.
Many of them can be done while seated, so be sure to try them with friends around you to help reduce a lack of physical activity!
- For seniors: Enjoyable exercises done while seated, accessible for wheelchair users.
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- Summary of exercises for seniors: introducing preventative care movements by body part.
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- [For Seniors] Simple Rhythm Exercises: Recommended Songs and Routines
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- [Seated] Fun Health Exercises for Older Adults and Seniors
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- For seniors: Enjoyable stick exercises. Easy workouts.
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- For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
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- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
Recommended simple exercises for recreational activities for the elderly (81–90)
Goo Choki Paa-ty (Rock-Paper-Scissors Party)
Shall we all try dancing the “Goo-Choki-Paa” exercise together—just watching it might lift your spirits! This routine is done standing, but it can also be done seated, so it can be adapted to the physical and mental condition of older adults.
Various animals and creatures appear throughout, and their movements are expressed with the hands and feet.
For example, a fist (goo) can represent a gorilla, and scissors (choki) can represent a crab—there are so many ways to communicate using just your hands.
Don’t forget to take a deep breath at the end to refresh your body and mind.
Hinamatsuri Exercise
Here’s an introduction to a seated exercise that’s perfect for March.
Let’s move our legs and arms to the tune of the children’s song “Ureshii Hinamatsuri.” This exercise is expected to improve blood circulation and help reduce swelling.
Many older adults have probably heard or sung “Ureshii Hinamatsuri” at least once, right? Using a familiar song makes it easier to get started.
Some of the moves also match the imagery of the lyrics, which makes them easy to remember and helps the body move more naturally.
It’s fine to wait until you’re comfortable, but try doing the exercises while singing along.
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.
calf exercises
This exercise strengthens the calf muscles by focusing on correct posture and muscle movement.
Building the calves can help you walk more smoothly and may also promote blood circulation.
Use a support such as a chair to avoid falling, and perform a movement that raises and lowers your heels.
A key point is to lift your whole body straight upward, so be sure to maintain proper posture.
If you’re not sure whether you’re doing it with correct form, external assistance or advice can be very helpful.
ankle weight
It’s about adding resistance to everyday, ordinary movements and turning daily life itself into training.
Since the idea is to use a level of resistance that doesn’t interfere with your routine, the key is being able to do it casually without focusing too hard.
It’s not a training method that applies force in bursts; rather, it involves continuously adding small amounts of resistance, which can make it harder to feel immediate results—that’s the tricky part.
Because it’s done over time, advance planning is important: deciding how long to apply the resistance and how much resistance to use are both crucial.
Iki-iki Exercises: Tokyo Boogie-Woogie
It’s a routine designed to move and train various parts of the body in time with Shizuko Kasagi’s classic song “Tokyo Boogie-Woogie.” The key point is that the song’s tempo is light yet unhurried, so let’s proceed while carefully checking each movement.
It’s important to perform the motions accurately, but if you focus too much on that, your movements can become stiff—so enjoying the music is also essential for smooth motion.
By keeping proper sitting posture in mind as you go, you can further enhance the effectiveness of the movements.
Recommended simple exercises for seniors’ recreation (91–100)
Stretches performed while sitting on a chair
This is a stretch focusing on the lower back that helps prevent back pain and improves posture and blood circulation.
By sitting in a chair and moving your lower back slowly, you can effectively work the lower-body muscles centered around the waist with only a light load.
It’s important to start from correct posture with your back straight, and to pay attention to which lower-back muscles are being stretched.
To avoid pain, stretch slowly only within a comfortable range.
Holding your breath stiffens the muscles, so exhaling slowly as you perform the movements will also help loosen them.