Energetic and Lively! Sing-and-Exercise Program for Seniors
Exercise is essential for good health, but as we become adults, many of us have fewer opportunities to be physically active, don’t we?
And I imagine there are also fewer chances to sing out loud.
For people like that, we recommend a wonderful routine that lets you do both at the same time!
In this article, we’ll introduce exercises for older adults that let you move your body while singing.
Please consider incorporating them into day services and other care facilities.
Of course, you can enjoy them while seated as well.
Move and sing together, and have a great time!
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [For Seniors] Simple Rhythm Exercises: Recommended Songs and Routines
- [For Seniors] Have Fun and Relieve Stress! Introducing Dances Everyone Can Enjoy Together
- [For Seniors] Songs Everyone Can Sing Together! A Roundup of Recommended Crowd-Pleasers
- [For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training
- For People in Their 90s: Dance Tracks and Exercise Songs That Make Moving Your Body Fun!
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- [Recommended for seniors] Rejuvenating Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
- [Sing for your health!] Popular songs among seniors. Also recommended for recreational activities.
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Popular Hand-Play Songs: Fun Brain-Training Ideas
- [Brain Training for Seniors] Recommended Hand-Play Recreation for Dementia Prevention
- Ranking of popular songs for senior citizens
Energetic and Lively! Singing Exercises for Seniors (61–70)
Patakara exercises in a spring brook
We’d like to introduce the Patakara exercise that you do while singing.
By pronouncing “pa,” “ta,” “ka,” and “ra,” the Patakara exercise helps train the muscles around the mouth and the tongue.
Some facilities have already incorporated it into their daily exercise routines.
Using a familiar song for older adults, such as “Spring Brook,” makes it easier for them to engage in the exercise.
“Spring Brook” has a gentle melody, making it especially suitable.
Choosing songs that reflect the season can also help older adults feel the change of seasons.
Why not try adding it to your usual exercise routine?
Spring Song Exercise
When we listen to songs like “Haru no Ogawa” and “Sakura Sakura,” we picture the warm, sunny weather of spring.
Let’s try doing some exercises to these spring songs.
As you sing, clap your hands and lift your legs.
Many children’s songs are likely familiar to older adults, too.
It’s said that recalling and singing the lyrics of songs you know can also serve as a workout for the brain.
For older adults who find it difficult to move their legs, just the hand motions are perfectly fine.
Please participate within the range you can manage.
Aiube exercises while singing
Here is an introduction to the “Ai-U-Be Exercise,” which comes with lyrics and hand movements.
The Ai-U-Be Exercise is designed to improve breathing from mouth breathing to nasal breathing.
You can do it while seated and practically anywhere, so many senior care facilities may have adopted it.
By switching to nasal breathing, germs can be trapped in the nose, and moistened air can be sent into the body.
Repeating a set—such as 10 repetitions—several times helps strengthen the tongue and enables the mouth to stay closed.
For older adults, an exercise that includes simple lyrics and hand choreography makes it easier to try several times to music.
The movements can be done while seated, helping to move the body and promote overall blood circulation.
Autumn Song Calisthenics
Autumn is the season when it starts to feel chilly, isn’t it? It’s also a time when older adults may feel reluctant to move their bodies.
So how about trying a singing exercise with an autumn theme? If it’s a seated singing exercise, even seniors who find standing difficult can participate.
Autumn songs include pieces like “Tsuki” (The Moon) and “Donguri Korokoro” (Acorns Rolling).
By singing them during exercise, older adults can also get a sense of the season’s atmosphere.
In addition, exercising while singing can help activate the brain and relieve stress.
If you’d like, please use this as a reference and give it a try.
What a nice bath.Za Dorifutāzu
Let me introduce “Ii Yu da na,” a song that’s likely to boost your motivation for gymnastics.
This is the ending theme from the TV show “It’s 8 o’clock! Everybody Gather,” performed by The Drifters.
It was originally created as a local song for Gunma Prefecture, but nowadays their parody version is widely known.
The lyrics are comical, so listening to it can brighten your mood and help you approach gymnastics more enthusiastically.
Try incorporating movements that match the lyrics, such as gestures you’d make when pouring hot spring water.
Energetic and Lively! Singing Exercises for Seniors (71–80)
People of the Me-gumi (firefighters’ brigade)RATS&STAR
It was quite a shock when, at the height of their popularity, Chanels changed their name to Rats & Star.
These days, it’s not unusual for comedians to change their stage names and become more popular, but back then it felt groundbreaking.
Their memorable first single under the new name was Mekumi no Hito.
People today might be more familiar with Kumi Koda’s cover version.
As long as you can nail the signature pose—the “Me!”—you can pretty much move however you like.
It’s a high-energy track that makes you want to move your body while reminiscing about the old days.
the temple’s head monk
“Otera no Oshō-san” is also well known as a children’s song sung during rock-paper-scissors play.
It’s said that various lyrics have been given to it depending on the region and era.
Many older adults likely played this hand-game song when they were young.
It may bring back nostalgic childhood memories for some! This hand-play song is done in pairs: you hold hands and play rock-paper-scissors as well.
Because it involves many finger and hand movements, it provides good stimulation for the brain.
Be sure to enjoy it while communicating with each other.
