[For Seniors] Recommended Rhythm Play and Exercises
In this article, we introduce recommended rhythm games and exercises for older adults!
When people hear “exercise,” they might imagine something intense and feel it’s not for them.
Rhythm exercises involve moving your body to music, so you can use your whole body to keep the beat, or simply clap along while seated—both are great options!
Start by getting into the rhythm.
It’s important to do exercises without overexerting yourself, so prioritize what feels “fun” and try them casually at your own pace.
- [For Seniors] Simple Rhythm Exercises: Recommended Songs and Routines
- [For Seniors] Fun Exercises You Can Do While Seated
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Brain Training! Finger Exercises That Help Prevent Dementia
- [For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- Energetic and Lively! Sing-and-Exercise Program for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- For seniors: Enjoyable stick exercises. Easy workouts.
- [For Seniors] Let's Enjoy Exercising with a Towel!
- [For Seniors] Let's try customizing the usual Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises!
[For Seniors] Recommended Rhythm Games and Exercises (31–40)
Singing and exercise medley of summer children’s songs
As an indoor exercise activity, seated calisthenics are a classic choice.
Even while sitting, you can move your body well and refresh your mood, so give it a try and dance along.
You can use any music you like, but if you want something widely recognized that everyone can hum to, summer children’s songs are recommended.
There are plenty of summer-themed nursery songs such as “Kamome no Suiheisan” (Seagull Sailor), “Fujinoyama” (Mount Fuji), and “Ware wa Umi no Ko” (Child of the Sea), so pick some popular tunes.
Loosen up your body by spreading your arms and marching your feet to the rhythm!
Showa Era Classic Song Rhythm Exercises
When it’s too hot to go outside, why not have fun moving your body indoors? What we’re introducing is rhythm exercises danced to classic Showa-era hits.
They’re basically done seated, so even those who find it difficult to dance standing can enjoy them.
Because many of the moves involve large upper-body motions, be sure to leave enough space between chairs when doing this with multiple people, such as in a facility activity.
Depending on the song, wearing a happi coat or dancing with a folding fan can help you enjoy the atmosphere of the music, so it’s recommended.
Patakara Oral Exercise: Heaven and Hell
Here’s an idea for a Patakara exercise set to the familiar “Orpheus in the Underworld” music often heard at sports festivals.
Although the piece has no lyrics, try pronouncing “pa ta ka ra” by going through the syllables: pa pi pu pe po, ta chi tsu te to, ka ki ku ke ko, ra ri ru re ro in time with the music.
Once you get used to it, speeding up the tempo can make it more fun.
Since this is a tune many people recognize, even first-timers should be able to do it smoothly.
Doing the exercise before meals can enhance its benefits, so in senior care facilities, please be mindful of the timing.
Patakara exercises with the song ‘Back-to-Back Height Comparison’
Here’s an idea for mouth exercises using the well-known children’s song “Sekkura-be.” It’s very simple: just change the song’s lyrics to the sounds pa-ta-ka-ra and sing them out loud.
If you’re doing this in a senior care facility, it may be easier to first sing the original song once and then switch to pa-ta-ka-ra.
It’s also helpful to write the lyrics on a whiteboard or print them on paper so everyone can see them.
Doing this before meals can be especially effective in preventing choking, and practicing every day can lead to even better results.
Please give it a try!
Summer children’s songs – sing-and-dance medley
Let’s try doing sing-along exercises with summer children’s songs like “Hamabe no Uta,” “Natsu wa Kinu,” and “Ware wa Umi no Ko.” Many older adults may have sung these songs during their school days or with their own children, don’t you think? Exercises based on familiar songs may be easier for seniors to take part in.
Accompanied by music, we’ll do movements such as raising arms and legs while seated in a chair, as well as clapping along.
Singing together while exercising can also be a refreshing change of pace for older adults.
[For Seniors] Recommended Rhythm Play and Exercises (41–50)
OK finger exercise
Consciously moving your fingers helps activate the brain, improve circulation, and support smoother daily life.
This simple exercise strengthens and improves finger movement by intentionally engaging your fingers.
You’ll alternately perform a clenching-and-opening motion and a wrist-twisting motion, while also checking that you’re moving properly.
It’s also recommended to do the same with your toes, not just your hands, to help promote circulation throughout your entire body.
Hometown: A song-and-exercise routine that livens things up with three movements
Move your hands to the melody of the children’s song “Furusato,” and stimulate your brain not only through the hand movements but also by visualizing your hometown.
The flow is two claps followed by forming a number with your hands, thinking ahead to the next number while keeping the rhythm of the song in mind.
After making a 5 with both hands, the count returns to 1, so this is where you should focus carefully and aim for smoother movements.
Once you get used to it, we also recommend increasing the speed to further improve concentration.