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 (141–150)
Sing and pass it around! Ball relay
Here’s an idea for a rhythm-based ball-passing game.
First, participants sit in a circle.
One person starts with the ball and passes it to the next person in time with the music; that person then passes it to the next, and so on.
When the music stops, the person holding the ball gets to drop out of the game.
You can also adjust the game by adding more balls depending on the number of participants.
Singing along while playing provides brain training benefits, and listening to favorite songs can boost motivation, which adds to the appeal.
Walking balance practice
Falls are especially likely to occur while walking, and those automatic, half-conscious movements increase the risk.
This session slightly modifies and makes the act of walking more challenging, aiming to improve everyday walking balance.
You’ll place your stepping foot and bend your knee in ways different from usual, then take small steps while maintaining balance in that unstable position.
Another key point is to keep your upper body upright so the effort transfers properly to your muscles as you move forward.
Balance training in a walking posture
Walking is very important for your health, isn’t it? For older adults to maintain their balance, it’s essential to strengthen the core.
The key is to train using the whole body so you’re not walking with just your legs.
Since this movement activates muscles you don’t usually use, make sure to hold on firmly with both hands to a chair or something stable for safety when you do it.
Even if you usually walk without thinking, simply paying attention to your hip movement and posture can help improve your balance.
Why not incorporate this movement into your daily walks?
[For Seniors] Recommended Indoor Exercises (151–160)
Daily exercises for both hands and feet that you can do every day
When it comes to exercise for health, nothing is more important than keeping it up.
If a workout requires preparation, it can feel like a hassle and be hard to stick with.
In such cases, seated health exercises are recommended.
The key point is that they’re easy to do—you can fit them into spare moments in your day.
The movements are simple, like extending both feet forward or lifting your heels, but if you focus on engaging your muscles, you can really feel the effects.
Pay attention to how your muscles work by creating a contrast: start from a relaxed seated state and then intentionally apply strength.
One-Leg Balance Exercise
In everyday life, don’t you sometimes suddenly lose your balance? This is especially something to watch out for among older adults, as losing balance and falling can lead to injuries.
A recommended way for seniors to train their balance is the one-leg balance exercise.
Since it’s done one leg at a time, use a chair or wall for support.
It strengthens the lower body, making it effective for preventing falls.
The movements are all slow and controlled, so it’s nice that you can keep it up without overexerting yourself.
Improve hunched posture too! Ab workout
This is an abdominal workout you can do while lying down that is effective for rounded shoulders and lower back pain, concerns many older adults have.
Lie on your back, open your legs like a frog, and lift your hips off the floor.
From there, raise your legs further until your pelvis is upright, then clap the soles of your feet together.
If you have room to spare, twist your body to the side and do the same movement diagonally upward to also stimulate the muscles around your waistline.
Even just lifting your legs requires core strength! Start with a small number of reps and don’t overdo it.
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire, the ball-toss game often seen at school sports festivals.
Some older adults may have taken part in sports days and played tamaire in the past.
Here’s a perfect tamaire activity for a warm April day to get the body moving.
Because it’s a familiar game, it can help older adults refresh their mood and relieve stress.
Have participants sit in chairs and place a basket in the center.
Prepare red, white, and other colored balls, and have the participants throw them into the basket.
The person who gets the most balls in the basket wins.
Throwing with the arms and shoulders also provides upper-body exercise.
