Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors

Ball exercises to the rhythm

[Senior Exercise] Rhythmic Exercises Using a Ball [Preventive Care]

We’d like to introduce “ball exercises to the rhythm,” which help you move your body with a steady beat, expand your shoulder and arm range of motion, and gently raise your heart rate.

Start with a simple move: hold the ball with both hands and extend it straight out in front of you.

As you shift it rhythmically from side to side and add elbow bends and extensions, your body will gradually loosen up.

Finally, increase the variety of movements and move your whole body in time with the rhythm, which can also help stimulate brain activity.

You can start easily with a ball from a 100-yen shop, making this a fun, refreshing exercise routine.

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kojifumi

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Core and hip exercises

[Senior Exercise] Core and Hip Joint Workout Using a Ball

Here’s an exercise for the core and hip joints using a ball that can be done while seated.

Older adults can roll an easy-to-handle ball using both hands.

Have the older adult sit in a chair and, using both hands, roll the ball from around the belly area down to the toes.

While slowly rolling the ball forward, gently bend the body forward.

Because it’s a slow-paced activity, it should be easy for older adults to try.

It may also help spark communication with those around them through doing the exercise together.

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Nakajima Junko

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Fun brain-activating exercises to the rhythm of stepping

[Supervised by a Certified Health Fitness Instructor] Brain-Activating Exercises You Can Do in Care Settings! Enjoyable Stepping-to-the-Rhythm Workout – Part 2

If you want to enjoy brain-activating exercises with a marching rhythm, ball exercises are recommended.

First, repeatedly extend the ball forward with one hand while lifting the opposite leg, alternating sides.

Once you get used to it, change the direction from forward to upward, coordinating your hands and feet in the same way.

Finally, match the rhythm by extending the hand opposite the lifted leg forward, forward, up, up—two times each.

This exercise requires changes in tempo and hand-foot coordination, providing strong stimulation to the brain and helping maintain concentration and reflexes.

It can be done while seated, making it easy for older adults to adopt, and it’s convenient to start with just a single ball from a 100-yen shop.

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kojifumi

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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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kappamaki

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Pitching recreation using numbers and balls

Heated Action! A Throwing Recreation Using Numbers and Balls [Senior Recreation]

This is a recreational activity where everyone sits in chairs in rows and uses ball-passing to engage both body and mind.

First, sit facing each other in two lines and start by throwing the ball to the person diagonally across.

Then gradually add thinking elements by increasing the number of balls, counting passes, and introducing additional rules.

Because you have to think about where to throw the ball while also paying attention to the count, it really stimulates the brain.

It’s recommended to begin slowly to check the movements, and then increase the speed once everyone gets used to it.

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kappamaki

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Catch with a ball on one leg

One-Leg Only! A Group Ball Recreation for Seniors That’s Fun With or Without Paralysis

This is a recreational activity aimed at strengthening the power used to move the legs by rolling a ball with your foot and passing it to the next person.

Because you perform the entire sequence—catching the incoming ball and rolling it—using only one leg, you can really focus on how you move your foot.

Whether you kick the ball to roll it or use the sole of your foot will change the ball’s speed, so be mindful of that as you proceed.

Once you get used to it, it’s recommended to increase the cognitive challenge by getting creative with where you roll the ball or by increasing the number of balls.

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kappamaki

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String Balloon Relay

Recreation for seniors: Simple and exciting! String-and-balloon drop

It’s a game where you work with the person across from you to skillfully control a string you’re holding and carry a balloon to a target location.

Because you can’t move the balloon well with your own power alone, you feel a bit of frustration, but also the fun of cooperation.

If you make it like a relay where you pass the balloon to the next person, not only coordination with the person opposite you but also strategy with the person before and after you is tested, which makes the game even more engaging.

It’s a game where the spirit of cooperation is key, including how you tension and move the string.

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kappamaki

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