[For Seniors] Enjoyable While Seated! Ball Exercises and Recreation
Many senior care facilities include exercise in their recreation programs and daily routines.
Are your sessions ending up with the same or similar exercises every time? This time, we’d like to share ideas for “seated exercises using a ball.” Using a ball—something familiar to many older adults—may make it easier for those who are reluctant to participate to get involved.
Because the exercises are done while seated, they’re gentler on the body and can be done safely.
Rubber balls or balloons sold at 100-yen shops are fine as long as they’re an easy-to-grip size.
These activities help build muscle strength and coordination, and can also contribute to dementia prevention.
Please make good use of them during exercise time!
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- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
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[For Seniors] Enjoy While Seated! Ball Exercises and Recreation (21–30)
Ball exercises
Let’s try some exercises you can do while sitting, using a ball! When you think of a ball, you might picture throwing or kicking it, but in ball-based exercises you hold the ball or place it somewhere on your body.
For simple movements, hold the ball with both hands and extend your arms or twist your torso.
You can also do these motions to a rhythm.
For leg exercises, gently roll the ball under your feet or squeeze it between your thighs while moving your legs.
Even if you’ve never been good at ball sports, these exercises can be done slowly and at your own pace—so give them a try!
Rock-Paper-Scissors Ball Passing Game
Here’s a team-vs-team, high-energy Rock-Paper-Scissors Ball Relay game.
First, divide into teams.
Arrange chairs in a single row for each team, facing each other, and have everyone sit.
Next, the two players at the front each hold a ball and play rock-paper-scissors.
The winner passes their ball to the next teammate, and this repeats down the line.
The team that gets their ball back to the front first wins.
It’s exciting because you can clearly see which side is in the lead, and it’s great for engaging both the mind and body at the same time.
Rubber Ball Table Game
The “Rubber Ball Table Game” lets you enjoy playing with a ball while staying seated! Sit in chairs around a table and keep the ball bouncing as you pass it, set rules like skipping one person when passing, toss it back under specific conditions, or push the ball by hand like table tennis—there are many ways to play.
You can even add an extra ball and play while tracking two balls at once for a more effective workout for both body and brain.
It’s sure to bring out your inner child and have everyone thoroughly engaged!
Brain-training exercises with a towel and a ball
Let’s try a towel exercise that also trains your brain using a towel and a ball! Two people hold one towel together, place a ball on it, and then pass it along in a relay to the next pair holding a towel.
Start by passing gently and slowly, then increase the difficulty partway through by giving the ball a slight bounce as you pass it.
You can also change the difficulty by using different ball sizes, so give that a try.
Because you’ll interact with various people—your towel partner, the pair you pass the ball to, and others—it’s a great way to communicate and help reduce feelings of loneliness.
Ball-Picking Game
When April comes, the weather becomes mild and there are more pleasantly warm days, don’t you think? It’s also a time when it’s easier to move your body, so why not have some fun with a simple game? Here’s a ball-collecting game that uses lots of balls.
Roll many balls across a table toward older adults seated in chairs.
The seated participants holding containers will pick up the balls as they roll toward them.
Since it can be done while seated, it’s accessible for those who have difficulty standing or for older adults who use wheelchairs.
Have fun catching the ball with your body
A recommended recreation activity for seniors using a rubber ball.
Rubber balls don’t slip easily, so they’re easier to catch.
This time, work in pairs and toss the ball back and forth, catching it by clamping it between your hands.
It seems like it will train your reaction speed more than catching with your palms.
Switching to one-handed catches or knee catches also adds excitement, so they’re recommended.
Receiving the ball in various ways can help stimulate both mind and body.
A key point is not to overinflate the ball so it’s easier to grip.
Seated balloon volleyball
It’s a simple rule: while seated, you bat the balloon back into the opponent’s court.
The fewer participants there are, the more area each person has to cover, so you’ll get a good amount of movement.
If large movements are difficult, it’s recommended to increase the number of participants or have helpers support the players.
If you set the boundary with the opponent’s court farther away, players will focus more on the power needed to return the balloon, which helps them pay attention not only to tracking moving objects but also to how they apply force.
Since it’s a game played while seated, it also leads to rotational movements of the body.
