[For Seniors] Get Through the Chilly February! Recommended Health-Themed Recreations

Exercise to a spring song

A music exercise that gets everyone excited with just three moves! [Senior Brain-Training Recreation]

February still brings harsh cold, and we’re all starting to look forward to spring.

Here’s an exercise routine that matches the children’s song “Haru ga Kita” (“Spring Has Come”) to help build that anticipation.

The basic movement is a marching step to the rhythm of the song, with added motions like stretching your arms up and out to the sides.

The most important thing is to fully extend your arms, so choose a tempo that lets you move properly.

It’s also great to sing while you move—then you’ll be exercising both your body and your mouth.

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Chair exercises in February

[For Seniors] Japanese February Chair Exercises - Teacher Gobō

February is still quite cold, with occasional snowfall—a season when winter sports and snow-based activities are in full swing.

Let’s take inspiration from those winter sports movements and get our bodies moving well while seated.

We’ll start by warming up with a motion inspired by dry towel rubbing—using your palms to rub your body.

Then, loosen up thoroughly with forward-and-back body movements inspired by skiing and arm movements that evoke lifting snow.

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Good Hot Bath Gymnastics

Everyone’s Rehab Exercises: Pre-bath Warm-up to the tune of “Ii Yudana”! We’ll also introduce the bathrooms at the care facilities of Harukai, Wakai, and Souwakai!

In the cold winter months, many people feel like soaking in a hot spring.

With that winter hot-spring vibe in mind, let’s move our bodies to the song “Ii Yudana,” which conjures warm, comforting scenes.

It’s also great as a warm-up before bathing.

A key point is to really feel the rhythm of the song by using the side-to-side hand movements made famous on The Drifters’ TV show, who also performed the song.

If you only do this, it becomes just an arm exercise, so keep in mind that we’ll develop it into leg movements from here as well.

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Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise

[Exercise for Seniors: Open-and-Close (Goo-Paa) Routine] Dr. Arai’s Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise — Recommended for brain training, dementia prevention, and care prevention. Please use it in care settings such as day-service centers. by FUKUKURU

This is an exercise that incorporates the hand shapes used in rock-paper-scissors, a game everyone has played.

The key is making your right and left hands form different shapes and perform different movements.

Thinking about how to move them as you go also helps with brain training.

Extend your arms forward or upward, choose which hand shape to use at that moment, and gradually increase the complexity by combining and switching those shapes.

The goal isn’t to perfect the hand shapes, but to keep progressing while thinking about how to move your hands—that’s the most important point.

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Tai chi-style exercise

Seated Tai Chi-style Exercise ~Spring in the Northern Country~

This is an exercise that incorporates the gentle movements of Tai Chi, a Chinese martial art that is also practiced for health.

Here, to the calm melody of “Hokoku no Haru” (Spring in the North), we’ll thoroughly loosen the body with Tai Chi–like motions.

Although the actions—such as extending both hands forward or stretching them out to the sides—may look simple at first glance, the challenge lies in moving softly and slowly.

The most important thing is to proceed in a relaxed manner; focusing on your breathing as you go may make it easier to follow.

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Indoor walking

[Best Exercises for Seniors] A 10-minute at-home walking workout that delivers the same health benefits as walking outdoors—can be done at home (scheduled to be featured in the February issue of the health magazine Sokkai)

By incorporating marching-in-place exercises, you can achieve effects similar to walking even indoors.

Focus on maintaining steady marching for the set duration and moving not only your legs but also your arms to keep your body energized.

Standing provides greater benefits, but if that’s difficult, try doing it while seated in a chair.

Marching alone is solid exercise; adding movements such as stepping forward and backward or swinging your arms will engage your whole body more thoroughly, so that’s highly recommended as well.

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Clap Your Hands If You’re Happy Exercise

Brain-Training Exercise with Songs: “If You’re Happy and You Know It” — A Super-Easy Workout for Seniors

How about incorporating handclaps and singing into the exercise routine to add a brain-training effect while moving the body? Here, we’ll sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and get the body moving with firm actions like clapping and stomping.

The basic structure is a stepping motion that keeps the rhythm of the song, with handclaps inserted to match the lyrics.

If you add movements like tapping your shoulders and knees—not just your hands—you can boost concentration on how to move and also improve overall blood circulation.

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