[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)
Core training
If you feel your body swaying side to side when you walk and the word “fall” crosses your mind, you might be feeling afraid.
For those people, here’s a recommended core training exercise to help prevent unsteadiness.
You can do it while sitting in a chair—even while watching TV.
It’s simple: Sit in a chair, spread your arms, lean your body to one side, and lift the opposite leg.
Keep your balance with your hips so you don’t fall.
Do this 10 times.
If you place your hands on your waist while doing it, you’ll feel the muscles along your sides working.
Focusing on the muscles you’re using will improve the effectiveness, so please give it a try.
One-Leg Balance Exercise
In everyday life, don’t you sometimes suddenly lose your balance? This is especially something to watch out for among older adults, as losing balance and falling can lead to injuries.
A recommended way for seniors to train their balance is the one-leg balance exercise.
Since it’s done one leg at a time, use a chair or wall for support.
It strengthens the lower body, making it effective for preventing falls.
The movements are all slow and controlled, so it’s nice that you can keep it up without overexerting yourself.
Leg and lower-back training to prevent falls (11–20)
A drill where you reel in a rope with your foot
This is a game where you use back-and-forth foot movements to reel in a rope at your feet and race to pull a distant basket closer.
While the basket is being pulled in, someone throws balled-up newspaper into it, making it heavier and requiring more effort to move as more balls are added.
Once the basket reaches your feet, count how many balls are inside; the person who pulled their basket in faster with fewer balls is the winner.
Decide on your strategy—whether to make big strides or move your feet quickly in small motions—and see what works best for you.
Slow training to build strong legs and hips
This is a game where two people sit facing each other and try to pass beanbags to one another using their feet.
Place the beanbag on the top of your foot and flick it up; be mindful not only of how much force you use, but also of the angle of your kick.
Catch the incoming beanbag with your hands—your quick reactions and focus will be tested as you judge where it’s headed.
It’s not just about individual control; the intention to deliver the beanbag well to your partner is also key.
Balance training
As we get older, our core tends to weaken, which makes us more likely to trip over even small steps and to fall.
If that leads to a fracture, there’s a risk of becoming bedridden, so it’s important to keep the core trained at all times.
Here, we introduce exercises you can do while sitting in a chair, allowing you to train your core safely and easily.
Even simply lifting one leg or both legs while seated can strengthen your core.
Please use this as a helpful reference.
toe and heel raises
Here’s an exercise to lift the toes and heels that can help prevent falls.
By strengthening the muscles in your toes and heels, you can reduce the risk of tripping on steps or uneven surfaces and improve the push-off action when walking.
It can also boost circulation and help reduce swelling.
Sit in a chair and, keeping your heels on the floor, lift your toes; then lift your heels.
Do each movement 10 times.
Because it can be done while seated, it’s an accessible exercise even for older adults who find standing difficult.
cross trainer
This training machine helps you focus on the forward-stepping motion essential for walking and running.
Its standout feature is the alternating, rotational movement of each leg, which gives the impression that it strengthens your pushing power as well as the motion of the knee and ankle joints.
Because the handles assist your leg movements, you can gradually build lower-limb strength—this is a key point.
Adjust the resistance to firmly train your forward-driving power while keeping your attention on the leg movements and rotational action needed for walking.