Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors

Foot and brain training with numbers

I’ve created a new item that lets you do ‘foot exercises + brain training’ at home!

Walking is said to be good exercise for your legs and to help activate the brain.

Here’s an excellent way to get both benefits.

It’s an exercise that uses a 60-centimeter square cardboard board called a “step board.” To make the board, simply divide the cardboard surface into eight sections and write the numbers 1 through 8.

Place the board on the floor, put your feet on it, and try stepping with one foot at a time in order from number 1.

It’s even more effective if you increase the difficulty by trying patterns like “odd to even, even to odd” or “random numbers.”

Number Game! Odd and Even

Brain Training Exercise 12: Odd and Even Exercise

This is an exercise performed while seated, moving the hands and feet in two patterns in response to cues.

In the odd-number pattern, you raise your left hand and right leg; in the even-number pattern, you raise your right hand and left leg.

Participants switch based on the cue.

Start with simple cues of “odd” and “even,” then progress to having participants determine whether a spoken number is odd or even.

Moving opposite hand and foot, and quickly identifying numbers to form the correct body shape, helps activate the brain.

It’s also recommended to add variety with simple arithmetic like addition and subtraction to increase the thinking component.

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kappamaki

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A stick made of newspaper

[Stick Exercises] Lower Limb Strength Training: 9 Movements—Also Effective for Fall Prevention!!

This is a lower-body workout that uses a rod made by tightly rolling newspaper into a long, slender tube.

Even simple exercises like marching in place can become more focused when you use the rod alongside them, helping you pay attention to which muscles you should be engaging.

When doing exercises that involve lifting your legs, you can use the rod to clearly indicate how high to raise your leg, and aim for that target.

It’s also fun to get creative with how you use the rod—such as using it like a goal to reach, or as a tool that provides resistance against your leg movements.

Because it’s a homemade piece of equipment, the training feels approachable and can help you build strength with a sense of familiarity.

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Balloon volleyball with newspaper-stick bats

Recreation for seniors / Activities during the COVID-19 pandemic / Guaranteed crowd-pleaser: Balloon volleyball using newspaper-stick paddles

Balloon volleyball played using rolled-up newspaper sticks lets you reach farther with the tool, while also challenging more delicate control of force.

It’s also important to treat the table like a volleyball court: set up a proper net in the middle so you can enjoy the volleyball atmosphere.

The higher the net, the more it encourages players to hit the balloon upward, which naturally directs their gaze up and can help improve posture.

Rather than focusing on winning, encouraging players to keep the rally going will likely help them enjoy it for longer.

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kappamaki

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Exercises related to spring

Recommended for April and May: A 35-minute spring-themed exercise routine! A collection of exercises popular at day-service centers.

Did you know that people with declining cognitive function often show signs such as lower leg muscle mass, fewer red blood cells, and reduced agility? This time, we’ll introduce exercises with a spring-themed twist that can help address these issues.

The flutter-and-stop hand movement trains agility, and the leg-raising movement strengthens everything from the legs to the abdominal muscles.

Using onomatopoeia—like “pika-pika” (sparkling) for a shiny entrance ceremony and “goku-goku” (gulping) for cherry-blossom viewing—stimulates brain activity, and expressing them with the body adds exercise benefits.

The content is bound to make you chuckle whether you do it or watch it, making it perfect for recreational activities in senior care facilities.

Spring Song Exercise

[Singing Brain-Training Exercises] For Seniors, Simple, Preventive Care, Care Facility Recreation, Health Exercises

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.

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Nakajima Junko

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stick exercises

[Elderly] [Stick Exercises] When in doubt, choose this! Stick exercises!

Rod exercises using a handheld stick to help relieve lack of physical activity.

Because they can be done while seated, they’re perfect as recreation for older adults gathered at day-care or nursing facilities.

You can enjoy a variety of movements, such as stretching while holding the stick with both hands or twirling it with one hand.

It’s also recommended to do them to slow-tempo popular songs or enka, enjoying the singing as you go.

By moving your shoulders and arms broadly, you’ll work muscles you don’t usually use.

Try movements like sword techniques, shoulder tapping, and stirring a pot as well.

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mutō

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