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.
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- Summary of exercises for seniors: introducing preventative care movements by body part.
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
- [For Seniors] Simple Rhythm Exercises: Recommended Songs and Routines
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Lively Whiteboard Activities
- [Seated] Fun Health Exercises for Older Adults and Seniors
- [For Seniors] Recommended Easy Strength Training
- For seniors: Enjoyable stick exercises. Easy workouts.
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
Recommended Exercises for Easy Senior Recreational Activities (111–120)
Cognicise using a ladder
Let’s do some exercises using a ladder with grid squares, like a rung ladder.
Instead of a ladder, you can also stick vinyl tape on the floor.
Walk along the ladder stepping through the squares, and say the target words on the 3rd and 6th steps.
For example, the task could be: “On the 3rd step, say the name of a fruit; on the 6th step, say the color of the fruit you said on the 3rd step.” You can also raise both hands on the 3rd step—feel free to adapt it.
It could be fun to have older adults come up with the tasks as well.
There are many variations you can try, such as stepping outside the ladder only on 3 and clapping.
A-I-U-Be mouth exercise to the rhythm
This is the “A-I-U-BE” exercise performed to a rhythm.
Let’s add singing while doing the A-I-U-BE exercises.
With an upbeat melody, older adults will feel cheerful and more willing to give the exercises a try.
If the lyrics describe how to open the mouth, it also helps older adults move their mouths smoothly.
Many senior facilities incorporate A-I-U-BE exercises as training for the mouth and tongue.
Singing is also recommended for preventing aspiration, as it helps strengthen the throat and abdominal muscles.
It also promotes saliva secretion, which helps maintain a healthy oral environment.
Give it a try while having fun!
Great for recreation, too! Newspaper-pulling exercise
This is a fun, chair-seated exercise using newspaper.
First, place a long strip of connected newspaper at your feet.
At the start signal, pull it backward.
Through the motion of moving the newspaper, you train the strength to press through your feet and the muscles that move the legs forward and backward.
Focusing on using your toes to grasp the newspaper is another key tip—and a great training opportunity.
If you do it as a race and focus on speed, it should also help improve explosive power.
Upper body loosening exercises
This is an exercise using a ball that focuses on moving the upper body.
To help you pay attention to the strength of your fingers when gripping, a smooth-surfaced ball is recommended.
In movements where you squeeze the ball from both sides or pull it to the left and right, focus on engaging the shoulders and arms.
In the movement where you grip and rotate the ball, be sure to consciously engage the shoulders.
When you place the ball on your palm and move it forward and backward, it trains your sense of balance and encourages proper posture, so starting with this exercise could be a good idea.
Enjoyable upper body training
To strengthen your upper body, try a towel exercise that gets your fingers, hands, and arms moving well.
Moving your hands and fingers thoroughly is essential for performing everyday actions smoothly.
If you want to focus on moving from the fingers to the hand, hold the towel using only your thumb and index finger and repeatedly tighten and loosen it to keep it taut, or hold it in a similar way and rotate the towel all the way around in a circle.
If you want to move from the hand to the arm, simply spinning the towel briskly is fine.
Also, if you bend your waist slightly while holding the towel and make a motion as if handing it to the person in front of you, you can engage your waist area as well.
Lower body and abdominal training
The ideal is to keep your back straight and walk briskly even as you get older.
According to one study, when researchers examined seniors’ walking speed and their survival rate ten years later, they found that those who walked faster tended to live longer.
The muscles you need for walking—thighs, glutes, and abdominals—are essential.
With the simple exercises you can do in bed—leg raises, hip raises, and ab crunches—let’s start building a body that will keep you walking energetically into the future.
Even though it’s strength training, the key is to take it slow and avoid overexertion.
Have fun catching the ball with your body
A recommended recreation activity for seniors using a rubber ball.
Rubber balls don’t slip easily, so they’re easier to catch.
This time, work in pairs and toss the ball back and forth, catching it by clamping it between your hands.
It seems like it will train your reaction speed more than catching with your palms.
Switching to one-handed catches or knee catches also adds excitement, so they’re recommended.
Receiving the ball in various ways can help stimulate both mind and body.
A key point is not to overinflate the ball so it’s easier to grip.
