Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors

Full-body balloon volleyball

Balloon volleyball for parents and children: it works your abs, back muscles, and lower-body strength.

This program gradually adds rules to simple balloon volleyball to thoroughly train the whole body.

We’ll start with a basic rule of returning the balloon with the hands, then add movements like kicking it back with the feet and thinking elements.

Keeping the leg raised puts strong load on the abs and lower back, so if that’s difficult, it’s better to raise the leg only at the moment of returning the balloon.

Adding cues like “apple” to mean “return with your hand,” and other thinking components step by step will also help activate the brain by improving dynamic visual acuity, concentration, and split-second decision-making.

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kappamaki

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Full-body stretch

[Stretching] [Strength Training] Exercises using a mat that you can do while lying down

You can even do full-body stretches while lying down, which also help prevent injuries! Lie on your back, relax your whole body, and get ready.

Clasp your hands and reach them overhead to stretch your entire body.

Be sure not to hold your breath while stretching.

Point your toes downward, pull them upward, or turn them outward to stretch your whole legs.

Pulling your knees toward your chest will stretch your glutes, and if you bend your legs, support the back of your head with your hands, and look toward your belly button, it also works your abs! Try incorporating one of these each day before bed or in other low-stress moments of your routine.

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yuri

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full-body exercise

Full-body exercises you can do while seated [Frailty Prevention]

When it comes to exercises at a day service, people often think of loosening and strengthening parts of the body that are underused or tend to weaken, but it’s also important to train the whole body in a well-balanced way.

Let’s try whole-body exercises while seated in a chair to minimize strain on the body.

When you’re seated and relaxed, you won’t tense up unnecessarily during movement, which should help your entire body loosen up effectively.

It may be easiest to focus on upper-body exercises centered on the shoulders and arms, while also incorporating lower-body movements like lifting and lowering the legs.

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kappamaki

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Exercises to improve kyphotic posture

[Round back stretching exercises] Easy even for the elderly 🧓

A hunched back is commonly called a “cat back,” but the technical term is kyphosis.

When your back is rounded, it affects your whole body.

While walking, you may start shuffling your feet, increasing the risk of falls, and your chin naturally tilts upward, which can lead to aspiration.

So let’s try a simple exercise to improve kyphotic posture.

Place both hands on your ribcage and inhale.

The key point is to check that your ribs lift upward.

Then, open your arms out to the sides and raise your head and neck upward.

Keep breathing slowly and hold this position for 10 seconds.

Just this alone can help bring a rounded, backward-leaning posture back toward neutral.

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Nakajima Junko

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Winter Song Exercises

[Singing Exercise] Winter Recreation · Elderly · Health Exercise · Seniors · Easy · While Seated in a Chair · Simple

Sing-along activities are offered in many senior and welfare facilities.

Singing helps relieve stress and, because it moves the mouth, also works as an oral exercise.

Moreover, combining songs with simple exercises—song-exercise routines—stimulates the cerebrum, activates the brain, and can help prevent dementia.

If the exercises use songs people like, even seniors who feel reluctant to move might think, “Maybe I’ll give it a try.” Seasonal songs, such as winter-themed ones, can also help seniors feel the season as they exercise.

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Nakajima Junko

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Northern Country Spring Exercises

Northern Country Spring Exercises

We would like to introduce an exercise set to the classic song “Kitaguni no Haru,” which most older adults are likely familiar with.

March in place during the intro, then raise and lower your hands, do open-and-close (grip-and-release) movements, and tap your hands, shoulders, and knees.

There are also twisting motions for the neck and torso, so be careful not to overexert yourself.

It’s a good idea to review the movements beforehand if it’s your first time.

When doing this as a recreation activity at a senior facility, giving prompts such as “Next is marching in place,” each time will make it more enjoyable.

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kojifumi

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Let’s make shapes with our feet!

[Multitasking] Dementia and fall prevention training with different movements for left and right sides

While seated, lift and move your legs, focusing on your leg muscles while also adding a brain-training element.

One leg traces a triangle, and the other moves up and down in time with the rhythm.

A key point is to clearly grasp the difference in counts: one leg completes a cycle in three beats, while the other completes a cycle in two beats.

Once you get used to it, switch legs and keep your attention on how you move them.

If lifting your legs is difficult, you can keep your feet on the floor and draw the shapes there instead.

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kappamaki

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