Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors

Chair exercises in April

[Gentle Exercise] Japan’s April Chair Exercises – Teacher Gobō

As the warm weather sets in, many older adults may feel like moving their bodies and becoming more active.

This time, we’re introducing chair exercises themed around April that you can do indoors.

While seated, reach your hands forward as if you’re catching cherry blossom petals.

We’ll also do some brain training that recalls food stalls at cherry blossom festivals, along with exercises to strengthen your muscles.

By doing exercises and brain training related to April, older adults can get a sense of the season.

And because these exercises are done while sitting in a chair, many older adults can take part.

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Nakajima Junko

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“Antagata Dokosa” Exercises

[Senior Recreation] If you want brain-training sing-and-exercise for seniors, this is it! Five ‘Antagata Dokosa’ routines taught by an occupational therapist

This is an exercise you can do to the rhythm of the nursery rhyme “Antagata Dokosa.” It’s a recreational activity you can enjoy with friends at care facilities or day centers.

While singing, you tap your thighs while seated and swing your arms to move your body.

By adding steps and handclaps, you can challenge yourself with more active movements.

Stretching your body broadly helps relax muscle tension and can also alleviate a lack of exercise.

How about trying a brain-training workout that involves moving your hands and feet while singing?

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mutō

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Shoo Away Game

Using only newspapers❣️ Ball, go over there! 😂 #seniorActivities #recreation #shorts #dementiaPrevention #dayService

Recreation activities at senior facilities can be a lot of work to prepare, right? For those in that situation, I recommend the “Get Outta Here” game—easy to set up and great for getting everyone excited.

All you need are newspaper and tape.

Roll up a newspaper into a stick as-is, and crumple up plenty of balls.

Once you mark out territories on the floor with tape, you’re ready to go.

On “Ready, go!” start the game and use the newspaper sticks to push the balls into the other team’s territory.

The situation changes every second, so cheering gets heated too.

If bending down is difficult, you can set up the territories on tables to keep it safe.

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kojifumi

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Leg exercises with beanbags

Foot exercises with beanbags~ 🎶 So much fun 😊 Let’s try 😆 #recreation #activitiesForSeniors #exercise #shorts #concentration #beanbags #dayService

Here’s a foot exercise you can do indoors using beanbags.

Sit in a chair and place one beanbag on your knee.

Do a marching motion with the leg that has the beanbag on it.

Start with one leg, then gradually try placing beanbags on both legs or increase the number of beanbags.

Not only does this work as a foot exercise, but keeping the beanbags from falling while you march also helps improve concentration.

Because it doesn’t require heavy objects and can be done while seated, it’s recommended for older adults as well.

When the weather turns warm, you feel like moving your body, right? This simple indoor beanbag foot exercise is an easy way to get started.

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Nakajima Junko

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Cognicise with the Frog Exercise

Chair Cognisize 27: Senior & Health Exercises – Dementia and Nursing Care Prevention

Sit in a chair and move both your hands and feet.

Because you can move your whole body without strain, this helps improve blood flow and can prevent or reduce swelling.

While doing the exercises, keep your fingers spread wide in a “pa” (open-hand) shape.

Moving your legs and other parts while keeping your fingers in this open shape helps activate the brain.

Cognicise is also called dual-task exercise.

Dual-task exercise refers to doing more than one thing at the same time, such as thinking while you exercise.

Doing two things simultaneously is said to stimulate the brain and activate it efficiently.

Gradually increase the difficulty, and don’t worry about making mistakes—just keep your body moving.

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Nakajima Junko

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Towel exercises to the tune of Kiyoshi’s Zundoko-bushi

Towel exercises to the tune of Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi (seated version)

Kiyoshi Hikawa’s “Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi” is a song that many older adults are familiar with, so it’s likely to boost motivation for exercise! Let’s move energetically to the music.

In addition to movements like holding a towel and bending and stretching the arms, we also recommend moving your legs along with it.

For the easy-to-hum phrases, try singing while you move your body.

Because the song is very rhythmic, following the beat exactly can sometimes be challenging, so don’t push yourself—take a more relaxed tempo and move your body comfortably.

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SAKI

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Goo Choki Paa-ty (Rock-Paper-Scissors Party)

From Momoclo-chan Z “Tobidase! GooChokiParty” — “GooChokiPa Gymnastics”

Shall we all try dancing the “Goo-Choki-Paa” exercise together—just watching it might lift your spirits! This routine is done standing, but it can also be done seated, so it can be adapted to the physical and mental condition of older adults.

Various animals and creatures appear throughout, and their movements are expressed with the hands and feet.

For example, a fist (goo) can represent a gorilla, and scissors (choki) can represent a crab—there are so many ways to communicate using just your hands.

Don’t forget to take a deep breath at the end to refresh your body and mind.

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Nanaka

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