[For older adults] Music recreation that helps boost mood and improve health
We’d like to introduce music-based recreational activities that can lift the spirits of older adults.
Listening to favorite songs or singing out loud can provide a change of pace and help relieve stress.
In this article, we present a variety of recreational ideas that use the music we encounter in everyday life.
Along with sing-alongs of children’s songs and simple exercises set to music, we’ve also gathered quiz-style activities that are fun like games.
If you’re planning music recreation for a senior facility or day service setting, please use these ideas as a reference.
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[For Seniors] Music Recreation Activities (91–100) That Help Improve Mood and Health
Spring Song Exercise
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.
Aiube exercises while singing
Here is an introduction to the “Ai-U-Be Exercise,” which comes with lyrics and hand movements.
The Ai-U-Be Exercise is designed to improve breathing from mouth breathing to nasal breathing.
You can do it while seated and practically anywhere, so many senior care facilities may have adopted it.
By switching to nasal breathing, germs can be trapped in the nose, and moistened air can be sent into the body.
Repeating a set—such as 10 repetitions—several times helps strengthen the tongue and enables the mouth to stay closed.
For older adults, an exercise that includes simple lyrics and hand choreography makes it easier to try several times to music.
The movements can be done while seated, helping to move the body and promote overall blood circulation.
Exercise Song Collection: Masterpieces of the Showa Era
This is an exercise done while seated, moving your body slowly yet deliberately to various classic Showa-era songs.
For “March of 365 Steps,” use big hand movements and marching steps; for “North Country Spring,” switch to finger exercises—change the movements with each song.
As the songs change, the size of the movements will also change, so it’s important to stay mindful of which part of the body to focus on.
While enjoying the rhythm of the music, the most important thing is to concentrate on moving each specific part of your body.
A parody song with the lyrics set to a different melody
It’s a recreation where you focus on the lyrics of a song and try singing the same lyrics to various melodies.
Because lyrics and melody are usually thought of as a set, let’s enjoy the surprise when the lyrics fit perfectly with a different melody.
Choosing the songs in advance is the most important part: prepare songs whose number of words in the lyrics is as close as possible.
It might be interesting not only to have songs that are easy to adapt for parody versions, but also songs that are hard to adapt, so you can think about what conditions make them easier.
Mito Komon Exercise
This is an exercise routine that moves the whole body to the theme song of Mito Kōmon, a staple of period dramas.
Because it uses a song everyone knows, the music itself is enjoyable.
Despite its powerful feel, the song’s gentle tempo is another key point; moving your body while catching the rhythm helps you generate strength.
Once you get used to moving along with the music, doing it while singing is also recommended, as it is expected to help improve cognitive function.
Autumn Song Calisthenics
Autumn is the season when it starts to feel chilly, isn’t it? It’s also a time when older adults may feel reluctant to move their bodies.
So how about trying a singing exercise with an autumn theme? If it’s a seated singing exercise, even seniors who find standing difficult can participate.
Autumn songs include pieces like “Tsuki” (The Moon) and “Donguri Korokoro” (Acorns Rolling).
By singing them during exercise, older adults can also get a sense of the season’s atmosphere.
In addition, exercising while singing can help activate the brain and relieve stress.
If you’d like, please use this as a reference and give it a try.
Challenge in antiphonal singing
Trying call-and-response singing sounds like a wonderful recreational activity.
Switching between different songs and lyrics can enhance cognitive flexibility.
New lyrics and rhythmic changes provide pleasant stimulation, and singing itself helps refresh the mind.
The balance of challenge and fun is just right, making it perfect for older adults.
Singing together also deepens communication.
By all means, join in and enjoy it—you’re sure to have a lovely time!