[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] Balance-Training Exercises: Preventing Falls
Simple exercises for toes and blood circulation improvement (11–20)
stomping
If just two minutes of marching in place could help lower high blood pressure, you’d want to try it, right? This video introduces a marching exercise that can make that wish come true.
All the movements can be done while seated, so they’re safe for older adults.
Exercise not only improves physical function, but can also boost cognitive function and reduce stress.
While making exercise a daily habit can be challenging, these exercises require no preparation, making them easy to incorporate as recreational activities in senior care facilities.
Let’s enjoy doing them together and build healthier bodies!
heel raise
Calf raises are performed by lifting and lowering your heels while standing upright.
Because calf raises are relatively easy on the body, they’re recommended for older adults and beginners to strength training.
They effectively train the calf muscles, which are closely related to blood flow.
As a result, blood circulation from the lower body to the upper body is said to improve.
The exercise isn’t difficult—simply stand with your feet apart and raise and lower your heels on the spot.
Besides placing your hands on your hips, it’s fine to hold onto a wall or chair for support.
Adjust the exercise to suit older adults.
It’s important to continue steadily every day within a comfortable range without overexerting yourself.
Leg and hip training to prevent falls (1–10)
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.
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.
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.