[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
- Back-strengthening exercises for seniors: easy routines suitable for women
- [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 (31–40) that even beginners can do
20-second daily back muscle training
In our everyday lives, we tend to unconsciously choose low-effort postures, which can lead to weakened back muscles without us even noticing.
Here’s a perfect 20-second exercise to bring awareness to your muscles and posture.
It’s simple: place both hands above your head, spread your arms, and open your chest.
Just correcting your posture in this way will help strengthen your back muscles.
If your back rounds, the effect diminishes, so keeping good posture is the most important part.
Kyphosis prevention training using a resistance band
This is a training exercise where you use a resistance tube to add load to your movements, engaging your muscles while stretching your body.
It’s a simple motion—holding each end of the tube in your hands and stretching it—but depending on the position at which you pull, you can train different parts of the body.
A key point is to slowly stretch the tube and maintain that position, while staying mindful of your posture.
If you focus on opening your chest and engaging your shoulder blades, it can help improve your posture and lead to smoother movement.
Exercises to improve kyphotic posture
A hunched back is commonly called a “cat back,” but the technical term is kyphosis.
When your back is rounded, it affects your whole body.
While walking, you may start shuffling your feet, increasing the risk of falls, and your chin naturally tilts upward, which can lead to aspiration.
So let’s try a simple exercise to improve kyphotic posture.
Place both hands on your ribcage and inhale.
The key point is to check that your ribs lift upward.
Then, open your arms out to the sides and raise your head and neck upward.
Keep breathing slowly and hold this position for 10 seconds.
Just this alone can help bring a rounded, backward-leaning posture back toward neutral.
Exercises using a wall to prevent slouching
A slouched posture gradually develops unconsciously as we seek a comfortable position, but recalling proper posture can help trigger improvement.
This training helps you remember what a correct back shape looks like while strengthening the muscles that support it.
First, place your arms against a wall and take one step back.
In that stance, look upward and bend and straighten your knees to arch your back properly.
For people with a hunched posture, this applies force in the opposite direction, so be sure to proceed within a comfortable range.
indoor fast walking
Walking is considered good for health, and many older adults are already practicing it.
However, some may feel that outdoor walking is a hassle.
For those who find it difficult to go outside or aren’t comfortable with physical activity, walking outdoors might be challenging.
In that case, how about brisk walking indoors? March in place while swinging your legs backward.
If you swing your arms quickly, you’ll work not only your lower body but also your upper body.
It’s said that moving your hands as if to grab the leg that swings back can also strengthen your back muscles.
It’s easy to do, so give it a try.
[For Older Adults] A Collection of Simple Exercise Programs for Beginners (41–50)
Just-sleep stretching
If you can incorporate training into ordinary everyday movements, you can work on it whenever you notice and easily improve your body.
This is a perfect training method for those who aren’t good at focusing on workouts: simply changing the way you lie down will benefit your back muscles.
All you do is place a pillow under your shoulder blades when you lie down, raise your arms, and gently sway them—this alone helps loosen the muscles in your back.
By directing your attention to arching your back, it also seems likely to lead to better posture and improvements in rounded shoulders.
Seated back-strengthening exercise
If you’re an older adult with lower back pain, be sure to strengthen your back muscles.
When the back muscles weaken, they can’t support your posture, which can lead to a rounded back and back pain.
Sit in a chair and reach one hand upward from near the toes on the opposite side.
Then lift your hand as if turning your chest up toward the ceiling.
Do this on both sides, but adjust the number of repetitions according to the individual’s condition.
You can also try stretching your back while raising both arms overhead.
Since these exercises are done while seated, it should be easier to keep up with the training consistently.