[For Seniors] July health topics: a wide range of ideas including exercises, crafts, and quizzes
Summers in Japan are getting hotter every year, and outdoor activities are often limited.
Older adults, in particular, experience a decline in physical function with age and may be less sensitive to heat and cold, so special care is needed to prevent heatstroke.
Here are some recommended health topics for July that are perfect for summer.
We’ve gathered plenty of ideas you can enjoy in cool indoor spaces without worrying about the heat—such as exercises, quizzes, games, and snack activities.
There are also exercises that are effective for preventing heatstroke! Most activities can be enjoyed while seated, so even those who have difficulty standing can participate.
Incorporate them into your daily recreation and let’s make it through the hot summer in a fun way.
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For Seniors: July Health Topics — A Wide Range of Ideas from Exercises and Crafts to Quizzes (1–10)
Tanabata RaceNEW!
This is a race where you load star pieces, representing the Milky Way, into paper boats.
Participants should split into two teams.
Sit facing each other across a table, and each person holds one scoop made from a milk carton.
When the game starts, a representative gently pulls the string attached to the boat.
As the boat passes in front of each participant, scoop up stars and put them into the boat.
Compete to see which team can load more stars onto their boat.
Scooping is trickier than it looks, so try to figure out how to scoop more quickly and efficiently.
Tanabata Fishing GameNEW!
Scatter star-shaped construction paper across a sheet and place snacks on top, then enjoy fishing for them.
The anglers hold rods and wear Orihime or Hikoboshi masks on their heads.
There’s no time limit, but it might also be fun to split into teams and see how many people can catch something in a row.
You can make the rods yourself with a stick, string, and a hook, and just tape a rubber band onto each snack.
Enjoy taking the caught snacks home as souvenirs or eating them together during snack time.
Milky Way GameNEW!
The “Milky Way Game” is a game inspired by Tanabata, when Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet only once a year.
Stick star shapes on paper to create the Milky Way, and decorate paper cups to make Orihime and Hikoboshi.
Put a ball inside each paper cup, then have players take turns sliding-throwing them toward the Milky Way.
If both cups successfully stop on the Milky Way, you win.
If either one goes off the Milky Way, you lose—in other words, the two couldn’t meet.
It’s also recommended to play in pairs among participants.
[For Seniors] July Health Topics: A Wide Range of Ideas from Exercises and Crafts to Quizzes (11–20)
A game where you deliver Hikoboshi to Orihime using a stringNEW!
By moving the strings from side to side, the illustration of Hikoboshi will move.
Orihime is at the end of the string, so do your best to move the string so Hikoboshi can reach her.
The game is played one-on-one, and you compete to see who can reach the goal faster.
You’ll need to spread your arms wide to the left and right for Hikoboshi to make it to the end, so it can double as an upper-body stretch.
If you place a backing sheet illustrated with the Milky Way over a picture themed around a cowherd and play the game on it, it will create a Tanabata-like atmosphere—highly recommended.
Heatstroke Quiz
July is a month when the heat often becomes a hot topic.
On scorching days, we all want to be careful about heatstroke.
You’re probably already mindful of heatstroke in older adults, too.
As we age, it seems we can become less sensitive to heat.
With that in mind, we’d like to introduce a heatstroke quiz.
We’ve made it a quiz format to help older adults stay aware of heatstroke.
Through the quiz, you can learn things about heatstroke you may not have known.
It might even be an enjoyable way for older adults to gain new knowledge.
Plus, coming up with quiz questions could help stimulate the brain as well.
Fireworks, swimming in the ocean, and the watermelon-splitting exercise
When you think of July, what comes to mind? Fireworks, swimming in the sea, watermelon-splitting—these may be some of the things that come to mind for older adults.
It’s said that recalling the past can help increase blood flow in the brain.
With that in mind, here’s an exercise routine that incorporates movements inspired by things associated with July.
Of course, it’s also fine to use movements based on July-related ideas provided by older participants themselves.
While doing the exercises, you can look back on childhood memories or summer episodes spent with family.
From there, conversations can naturally emerge, helping to promote communication as well.
Soran-bushi exercise
The Soran Bushi, a folk song from Hokkaido, is probably a song that many older adults have heard at least once.
These days, it’s often performed at school sports festivals as well.
Some of you may even remember watching your children or grandchildren dance to it at their sports day.
Let’s try doing some exercises to the familiar Soran Bushi melody.
Since the movements are done while seated, even those who find it difficult to stand can participate.
It would also be exciting for everyone to dance together at a summer festival.