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 (171–180)
Fall prevention exercises
These are effective exercises you can do while lying down to prevent falls! Lying on your back, move your ankles up and down through a large range of motion to activate your shin muscles.
Next, alternately pull each knee toward your chest and hug it in, moving your hip joints through a large range as well.
With one knee bent, raise and lower the other straightened leg to strengthen the front thigh muscles.
If you bend both knees, plant your hands firmly on the bed or mat, and lift your hips, you can also work your glute muscles.
Take breaks as needed and gradually get your body used to the movements, starting with a small number of repetitions.
Shoe-wearing motion training
Even the casual act of slipping your foot into a shoe involves surprisingly complex movements—like unconsciously adding angles as you move.
This game focuses on those motions when you insert your foot, training your feet through a scooping action.
You attach a cardboard part with an open space in the center to your foot and use it to pick up balls placed at your feet.
Instead of just moving straight in, you collect the balls with a scooping motion, so by concentrating on the balls, you naturally get your ankles moving well as you play.
Balloon basket
Let’s enjoy basketball using balloons.
Basketball often comes up as a topic on TV and in newspapers, doesn’t it? Many older adults are probably familiar with basketball.
Have the older adults sit in a circle on chairs and try to get balloons into a hoop hanging in the center.
You can also split them into left and right sides for a team game.
Some older adults may have enjoyed playing basketball in the past.
Reminiscing about those days could make it even more exciting.
Balloon volleyball box-in
This is a game where you use a handheld uchiwa fan to hit a balloon upward and try to get it into a box placed in the center of the table.
Because the box is positioned out of arm’s reach, your control over how you launch the balloon is really put to the test.
People closer to the box end up moving their hands more, so it’s best to have everyone try multiple rounds, changing the starting positions and the box’s position to keep the balloon circulating evenly.
You can also adjust the box’s size and height to change the difficulty and help players focus even more.
Neck strength training
They say the head weighs more than 5 kilograms.
Your neck supports that heavy head every day, and when it can no longer keep up, you start to develop a hunched posture.
Being hunched also means your balance is off.
That can lead to falls, so let’s strengthen the neck muscles through training to better support the head.
Place both hands on a chair and lift and lower your head.
Then, in the same position, turn your neck to the side and to the back.
Move your neck slowly and adjust the number of repetitions to match the pace of older adults.
[For Seniors] Recommended Indoor Exercises (181–190)
Pelvic exercises
Pelvic exercises are recommended for older adults who have recently been feeling unsteady or finding it difficult to walk.
When the hip joints become stiff, it can cause pelvic misalignment, which may lead to pain in the legs and lower back.
By loosening the muscles around the pelvis, you can aim to reduce pain and help your joints move more smoothly.
Sit slightly forward toward the middle of a chair and gently move your hip joints back and forth.
If your shoulders move, the effect will be reduced, so place your hands on your shoulders and try to keep them still.
If the movement is hard to understand, placing your hands on your waist may make it easier to feel.
Heel raise exercise
When you start using a wheelchair, the biggest concern is often the weakening of the leg and hip muscles.
This “heel raise exercise” can help strengthen the hip area and calves.
It’s simple: while seated, lift your heels without letting your toes come off the floor.
Do 10 or 20 repetitions per set—choose a number that suits you and keep it up.
The key is to raise your heels while focusing on the tops of your thighs and your calves.
Additionally, lifting the heels and then bringing them down firmly is said to help strengthen bones.
Please try it within a comfortable, safe range.