[For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
Here are some fun recreational activities that help build leg strength.
We’ve gathered options older adults can really enjoy, like soccer, bowling, and golf using balls or balloons.
These friendly group games—where you practice controlling force and direction—strengthen the legs while creating opportunities to communicate with others.
Moving your legs gently and without strain can also make everyday movements smoother.
Find your favorite activity and put it to use for daily health and wellness!
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- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Leg and lower-back training: Fall prevention
- [For Seniors] Exercises to Walk Again. Fall Prevention
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- [For Seniors] A Fun Sports Day! Recreational Activities You Can Do Safely
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
- [For Seniors] Balance-Training Exercises: Preventing Falls
Leg and hip training to prevent falls (1–10)
Newspaper-pulling-with-your-feet game
Here’s a game that gets you moving your feet while having fun and training at the same time.
Have older adults sit in a chair and pull a sheet of newspaper with their feet.
They can pull it with one foot or with both feet together.
You can also have two older adults sit facing each other at a distance and compete—it should be fun.
Besides providing leg exercise, it’s likely to increase interaction among older adults and bring more smiles.
It can also help with a change of pace and stress relief.
Please give it a try.
balance disc
This describes placing your feet on an unstable balance disc and aiming to stabilize your posture, which engages your whole body.
To prevent accidents like losing balance and falling, it’s important to take precautions such as bracing your hand against a wall for stability or having someone support you.
Starting from a supported position, gradually learn which parts of your body to engage to maintain a stable posture, and work toward holding a stable posture on your own.
If you don’t yet have enough strength to support your balance, it may be best to begin by sitting in a chair and practicing the motion of pressing down on the balance disc with your feet.
Leg-raising exercise
This exercise involves placing a box in front of you while seated and alternately placing your feet on it to train the lifting power of your legs.
Because you do it while sitting, it should be easier than doing step-ups in a standing position.
A large box slightly lower than the height of the chair is recommended, and when you place your foot on top, pay attention to the movement in your hip joint.
Keep your hands at your sides to maintain posture, and focus on lifting firmly using only the strength of your legs.
Tube training
Don’t overlook the rubber bands and band tubes used for tube training.
At first glance, they’re just large rubber bands, but they can be used in many ways.
For example, you can sit down, loop them around both feet, and move your legs outward; or pull them up above your knees and lift your thighs.
The great thing is that as long as you have a chair, you can do these exercises anywhere.
Inexpensive options cost under 1,000 yen, so they’re also recommended if you just want to give them a try.
Aerobic exercise with a rebound cushion
To make walking smoother, it’s important to train both the ability to lift your feet and the power to step down.
Among foot training methods, this one focuses on developing your stepping power.
By repeatedly pressing down hard with both feet on a cushion that has a springy, rebounding structure, you can build that stepping strength.
The cushion’s size, which allows both feet to be placed on it, is also key—use it to pay attention to balancing the strength between your left and right foot.
If you concentrate on the instant of the step, you can train explosive foot power; if you let the compressed cushion return slowly, you can work on strength endurance.
pedal pedaling
It feels like pedaling a bicycle, encouraging you to focus on the force of each push as well as the movement of your ankles and knees.
By keeping the rotation in mind and moving your legs alternately, it can lead to smoother joint movement and may also help with walking.
If you want to focus on joint movement, I recommend setting a lighter resistance; if you want to focus on pushing power, go heavier.
Being able to use it while seated is also a key point—you can casually train your legs while doing something else, and by doing two things at once, it also helps build your concentration.
Gluteus medius training
As we get older, it naturally becomes harder to maintain our balance.
For older adults who feel their balance has been getting worse lately, I recommend training the gluteus medius.
You can do it while standing, and it’s easy to keep up without overexertion, so it’s reassuring.
Strengthening the side of the glutes helps stabilize your gait and can reduce the risk of falls.
The exercise I’m introducing today can be done a little each day, so it places minimal strain on the body.
Hold onto a chair or something stable, and move one leg at a time.
