Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors
Some older adults may find it difficult to exercise outdoors.
For some, going out is challenging, and weather-related reasons like heat or cold can also be factors.
When physical activity decreases, fitness declines, which can lead to falls or increased susceptibility to illness.
With that in mind, here are recommended exercises for seniors that can be done indoors.
We’ve gathered seated exercises that are easy for anyone to participate in, as well as simple routines you can start right away.
Exercising can help increase muscle strength and bone density, and it’s also said to help relieve stress.
We want older adults to continue enjoying their hobbies and favorite activities and to live vibrantly.
Please make use of indoor exercises to help address lack of physical activity.
- [For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] A Collection of Simple Exercise Programs Suitable for Beginners
- [Seated] Fun Health Exercises for Older Adults and Seniors
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- [For Seniors] Balance-Training Exercises: Preventing Falls
- For seniors: Leg-strengthening exercises you can do without overexertion.
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- Energetic and Lively! Sing-and-Exercise Program for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Let's Enjoy Exercising with a Towel!
- [For Seniors] Build a Healthy Body Indoors! Recommended Exercise Equipment
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable While Seated! Ball Exercises and Recreation
- [For Seniors] Exercises to Walk Again. Fall Prevention
[For Seniors] Recommended Indoor Exercises (71–80)
Twisting exercise
In addition to weakening of the legs and hips, stiffness in the upper body—such as the sides of the torso and the spine—can also cause older adults to fall.
Normally, when turning to look behind, the body twists in order: head, upper body, hips, then legs.
However, if the upper body is stiff, the lower body twists first.
As a result, the head and upper body can’t keep up with the twist, which may lead to a fall.
This video explains the importance of keeping the upper body flexible and practicing twisting movements to prevent falls.
The exercises are performed while seated, so they can be done safely.
Balloon holder bag with a string
Here’s a string-and-balloon game that’s sure to liven up spring events and gatherings.
Have several older adults sit in chairs facing each other, each holding one end of a string so that paired participants are connected and keep the string taut.
By moving the string up and down or sliding it side to side, they work together to carry a balloon to the goal.
Cooperation is key in this game.
Because participants call out to each other as they play, it naturally encourages communication as well.
Chair exercises
A chair exercise designed to help maintain leg and hip health, easy for older adults to do.
It’s also recommended for those who don’t move much from their chair or bed.
Loosen up the muscles with toe lifts, marching in place, and knee raises.
You can also try strengthening the thighs—especially the quadriceps—by working the inner, front, and then the entire area in that order.
When you finish all the programs, gently tap your thighs to relax.
Since you don’t need to bring anything, it’s a simple and casual recreational activity you can join anytime.
[For Seniors] Recommended Indoor Exercises (81–90)
Different left-right movements for the rabbit and the turtle
This is an exercise where you move your arms widely to the left and right in time with the children’s song “Usagi to Kame” (The Hare and the Tortoise).
Since the exercise focuses on arm movements, if standing and moving your body is difficult, do it seated in a chair.
The basic action is simply extending your arms forward alternately, but by changing your hand shapes and switching movements at cues, it adds a brain-training effect.
With each signal, you’ll change your hand shape or the way you extend your arms, gradually adding elements so you think while you move.
Adding leg movements as well further increases the cognitive challenge, so that’s recommended too.
Recommended! Ab workout
Many people probably think you need hardcore training to work your abs.
But in fact, you can effectively stimulate them even while lying down! Lie on your back with a pillow slightly elevating your head, bend your knees, and get into position.
Then simply lift your head as if peeking at your belly button and slowly lower it back down, repeating the movement.
You can also bend one leg and extend the other, then raise and lower the extended leg—this will also engage your abs well.
Start with about 10 reps and gradually increase the number within a comfortable range.
Rock, paper, scissors in a cross
Crossed Rock-Paper-Scissors is a calisthenic exercise done with your hands crossed.
Instead of just doing rock-paper-scissors normally, you cross your hands, so it’s a workout for your brain, too.
It can be hard to do it perfectly on the first try.
By repeating it, your body will learn the movements.
There are also variations like tapping your feet while doing rock-paper-scissors, or adding hand claps, so give them a try.
They all require mental focus, so it feels like your brain gets a full workout.
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.