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 easy exercises for senior recreation (1–10)
Seated Stick ExercisesNEW!
This is a stick exercise designed by an occupational therapist.
It’s done while seated in a chair.
Hold both ends of the stick, extend your arms forward, and swing your arms left and right.
Raise your arms overhead and move your body side to side.
There are many other movements too—some build strength, others stretch your lower back and spine—there’s a variety.
It can help relieve shoulder stiffness, activate the brain, and improve explosiveness, among other benefits, so please give it a try if you like.
If you can’t do everything, it’s fine to proceed within your own limits.
Hand Therapeutic Exercises: Acquiring Fingertip Movements and Maintaining/Improving Cognitive FunctionNEW!
These are finger exercises that can also help maintain cognitive function.
We’ll introduce seven movements: finger abduction, MP joint flexion, IP joint flexion, thumb adduction, thumb palmar abduction, wrist palmar and dorsal flexion, and composite finger movements.
With actions like opening and closing the fingers, bending the non-thumb fingers from the base and returning them, and touching the thumb to each of the other fingers in sequence, anyone can do them without strain.
Only the wrist palmar/dorsal flexion uses a ball, so please prepare one.
By performing these exercises mindfully, you can enhance hand movement and finger flexibility.
Finger exercisesNEW!
Here’s a gentle “finger exercise” routine to help ease finger pain and stiffness and improve hand strength.
First, keep your elbows tucked to your sides with your palms facing up, and slowly rotate your forearms inward.
Be careful not to let your elbows flare out, as that puts extra strain on your shoulders.
Next, spread your hands from the inside outward, then, with your palms open, bend and straighten only your fingertips to thoroughly loosen the finger muscles and joints.
This helps train the small hand muscles you don’t usually notice and supports your grip strength and fingertip control.
You’ll also feel more stability when using chopsticks or a pen.
Try adding this to your routine to make everyday life more comfortable.
Recommended easy exercises for seniors’ recreation (11–20)
A simple pelvic floor exercise you can do while sitting for 5 minutes every dayNEW!
This is an easy exercise you can do every day while seated.
Sit in a chair, press your palms together, and hold them between your knees.
Keeping them squeezed, lift your heels and, as you exhale, gently tighten your anal area and lower abdomen; you’ll start to feel your pelvic floor muscles engage.
Hold for 10 seconds, then relax as you inhale.
Repeat this 10 times to help you get a better sense of consciously moving your pelvic floor muscles.
Finish with a deep breath to relax.
Because it can be done sitting down, you can keep it up even while watching TV, so why not make it a habit?
Exercises to relieve shoulder, back, and knee painNEW!
Many older adults may suffer from painful shoulders, lower backs, and knees.
By continuing this exercise routine, you can ease that pain.
For the shoulder exercises, let your arms hang loosely and rotate your hands from side to side, and also roll your shoulders themselves.
For the lower back, gently rub your waist to relax the muscles, then place your hands on both sides of your navel and, while exhaling, say “ha, ha, ha.” Strengthening the muscles around your abdomen will help you support your lower back more firmly.
For the knees, massage them first and then work on building strength.
Arm rehabilitation exercisesNEW!
Building arm strength is important for older adults to manage daily activities such as eating and getting dressed.
Today, I’ll introduce exercises you can do in just three minutes a day to boost strength.
First, clasp your hands and press your palms against each other.
Second, hook the fingertips of both hands together and pull outward.
Third, grasp the left wrist (with the left arm bent) using the right hand; move so that the left hand bends more while the right hand works to straighten it.
You can do these while seated in a chair, so try to make them part of your daily routine.
Energetic Stepping ExerciseNEW!
When you want a full-body workout, walking is an easy option, but there are times when it’s difficult for those with mobility issues or due to the weather.
In that case, let’s do a seated marching exercise that moves your whole body while staying in a chair.
First, take deep breaths and do some warm-up stretches.
After the warm-up, march your feet while counting out loud and add movements like raising your hands, opening both hands, and rolling your shoulders.
Finally, cool down to relax your body and finish.
Let’s move the whole body to maintain and improve muscle strength.