[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] 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
- [Evolving Daycare Services] A summary of engaging recreational initiatives that excite older adults
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.
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.
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.
Lower-body training to prevent falls (21–30)
Foot and brain training with numbers
Walking is said to be good exercise for your legs and to help activate the brain.
Here’s an excellent way to get both benefits.
It’s an exercise that uses a 60-centimeter square cardboard board called a “step board.” To make the board, simply divide the cardboard surface into eight sections and write the numbers 1 through 8.
Place the board on the floor, put your feet on it, and try stepping with one foot at a time in order from number 1.
It’s even more effective if you increase the difficulty by trying patterns like “odd to even, even to odd” or “random numbers.”