[For Seniors] A Collection of Simple Exercise Programs Suitable for Beginners
For those aged 65 and over, it is recommended to engage in at least 40 minutes of physical activity every day, regardless of intensity.
However, 70% of people aged 65 and over are not meeting the recommended amount of exercise.
Not exercising can shorten healthy life expectancy.
It also increases the risk of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and depression.
That said, suddenly starting high-intensity exercise can be taxing on the body.
In this article, we’ll introduce an exercise program that even beginners can do without overexertion.
Use it as a guide to help you live a healthy and enjoyable life for years to come.
- Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors
- For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- For seniors: Enjoyable exercises done while seated, accessible for wheelchair users.
- [For Seniors] Stretching Exercises: Easy and Safe to Do
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [For Seniors] Easy and Fun Core Training
- For Seniors: Back-Strengthening Exercises, Calisthenics, and Stretches—Workouts Women Can Do Without Strain
- [For Seniors] Balance-Training Exercises: Preventing Falls
- [For Seniors] Recommended Easy Strength Training
- [For Seniors] Core Training: Recommended Simple Rehabilitation
- [For Seniors] A Fun Sports Day! Recreational Activities You Can Do Safely
- [For Seniors] Improve Your Body Concerns! A Summary of Exercises for Urinary Leakage
[For Older Adults] A Collection of Simple Exercise Programs for Beginners (1–10)
Iliopsoas Walking ExerciseNEW!
Here’s an iliopsoas walking exercise you can do even if actual walking is difficult.
First, lie on your back.
Then draw one knee toward your chest, and, imagining you’re walking on the ceiling, extend your leg straight up.
Slowly lower it back down as is.
The key is to lower it slowly—if you drop it quickly because it’s hard, you won’t get the full benefit.
Also, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth as you lower your leg.
By continuing this exercise, you can master a hip-centered walking pattern and reduce the strain on your knees and ankles.
Easy Iliopsoas StretchNEW!
When you remain seated for long periods, the iliopsoas muscle atrophies and becomes stiff.
If the iliopsoas stops functioning properly, it can place stress on the knees and lower back, potentially causing pain.
So here’s a simple iliopsoas stretch you can do at home.
First, get on all fours and extend your right leg straight back.
Bend your left leg and bring it forward.
Then twist your torso to the opposite side of the extended leg.
Walk your hands to help you rotate slowly while paying attention to your breathing.
The key is to initiate the twist from the pit of your stomach (solar plexus).
Switch legs and hold each side for 20 seconds.
Leg swings and high knee raisesNEW!
A simple, enjoyable iliopsoas stretch that’s also recommended for people who’ve tried various stretches but can’t keep up with them.
For the leg swings, keep good posture and move your leg forward and backward with large motions.
For the thigh-lift stretch, raise your knee high so it comes up toward your chest.
A key point for both stretches is that you can hold onto something and move slowly while supporting your body.
Heavy-feeling legs or frequent tripping may be signs of decreased muscle strength.
Give these a try to help you stay active and healthy.
[For Older Adults] A Collection of Simple Exercise Programs for Beginners (11–20)
Exercises to Keep Your Legs and Back Strong Until 100NEW!
If you keep your legs and lower back healthy, you can stay active as you age.
So let me introduce exercises you can do while seated.
Start with stretches and warm-ups, then move on to brain-training exercises, followed by movements that help prevent falls and improve walking.
During the stretching, move your whole body to help it relax.
For the brain training, make different shapes with your left and right hands and switch them at the same time.
Once you get used to it, add marching in place.
In the final preventive exercises, focus on moving your legs.
10-Minute Health Exercises for Older AdultsNEW!
This health exercise engages your whole body while also training your brain.
It starts with alternating between lifting your toes and heels.
Next, you’ll combine two movements at once, such as swinging your arms and marching in place.
For the brain-training part, you move your body while counting numbers and clap on specific numbers.
Even doing the entire routine only takes about 10 minutes.
Since it can be done while seated, older adults can move their bodies without overexertion.
However, be sure to take proper breaks when you feel tired.
1-minute grip strength trainingNEW!
If you want to efficiently strengthen your grip in a short time, try training that moves each finger joint in sequence.
First, check your current grip strength.
Next, bend only the base joints of your fingers, then the middle joints, then the fingertip joints in order, and finally make a firm fist with your whole hand.
Consider this one set and repeat it about 10 times.
This trains the small muscles deep in the fingers called the lumbricals, making it easier to build strength at your fingertips.
Since it takes about a minute, getting into the habit of moving in this order will help improve your grip strength.
Improve grip strength with beanbagsNEW!
This is perfect when you want to gently strengthen your fingertip muscles.
The method is very simple: hold a few beanbags in both hands and slowly drop them one by one.
The actions of gripping and releasing naturally stimulate the muscles in your palms and fingers.
It’s fine to start with just a few.
As you get used to it, gradually increase the number—your grip strength and fingertip movements will become smoother, making it easier to grasp objects in daily life.
Enjoy this hand exercise, make it part of your routine, and keep your hands healthy for the long term.