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[For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
Moving your body is important for staying healthy.
Still, for those who find it hard to move as they’d like, seated recreations are a perfect fit.
You can move your hands and feet to music, sing together, and cooperate with friends.
It’s also effective for stimulating the brain, creating a time that naturally fills with smiles.
This time, we’re introducing simple exercises and activities you can enjoy without any equipment.
Why not try incorporating them into your daily routine?
Exercises you can do while seated (1–10)
Musical Exercise Hometown: Vocal StretchingNEW!
Let’s try some vocalizing stretches using the children’s song “Furusato,” which has a gentle melody perfect for voice practice.
Before you start singing, first say “oooh” for five seconds, moving your mouth fully as you make the sound.
Repeat several times, then try changing the pitch as well.
Once your voice is warmed up, next move your body.
Clasp your hands and extend your arms, then rotate your arms in a big circle as if they were the hands of a clock.
Once you can do that, keep rotating your arms and, while moving your mouth clearly, sing “Furusato!”
Exercise in a circle
Refresh yourself with simple circle-based recreation to enjoy with your companions.
Here are easy games that older adults can join while staying seated.
You’ll move your hands and feet to cues and use your mind as well, so you won’t get bored.
There are variations without any props and ones that use simple items—choose the one that suits the occasion and give it a try.
Since these are games played in a circle, it’s also great to get some exercise while having a good laugh with friends.
Ping-pong ball scooping gameNEW!
It’s a game like the goldfish scooping you often see at festivals and fairs.
Put a few ping-pong balls into a container or a ring you’ve made, and scoop them up with a spoon.
Once you scoop one, place it into another container or ring.
You could also have fun competing to see who can scoop them all the fastest.
It may look simple, but scooping and moving ping-pong balls with a spoon might require good fingertip concentration.
Plus, you can play it while seated, so you can chat with people around you as you play.
It’s a game that everyone can enjoy together with lots of lively excitement.
Tokyo OndoNEW!
Among baseball fans, this is also a popular song as a Yakult Swallows cheer anthem.
Watching the green and blue umbrellas swing up and down is fun in itself.
Although it’s called “Tokyo Ondo,” it’s a Bon dance tune loved all over the country, and singers like Harumi Miyako and Haruo Minami have performed it.
Perhaps because it’s so popular, video sites feature many versions—ones you can dance to while seated, and ones that people using wheelchairs can enjoy.
It’s a classic that livens up Bon dances—let’s all enjoy it together.
Number Game! Odd and Even
This is an exercise performed while seated, moving the hands and feet in two patterns in response to cues.
In the odd-number pattern, you raise your left hand and right leg; in the even-number pattern, you raise your right hand and left leg.
Participants switch based on the cue.
Start with simple cues of “odd” and “even,” then progress to having participants determine whether a spoken number is odd or even.
Moving opposite hand and foot, and quickly identifying numbers to form the correct body shape, helps activate the brain.
It’s also recommended to add variety with simple arithmetic like addition and subtraction to increase the thinking component.
Matsuken Samba IINEW!
This song, also known for being performed in the stage version of “Abarenbo Shogun,” is one that helped Makoto Matsudaira gain the nickname “Matsuken.” Its bright, poppy sound makes it perfect for Bon Odori! The lively steps and twirling moves make it an exciting dance to watch.
If several people are dancing together, it’s a good idea to pay attention to formations as well.
There’s also a seated version of the choreography, so please refer to it when dancing with seniors.
Seated Rhythm Exercises
Let’s do rhythm exercises to classic Showa-era hits.
First, sit in a chair and make sure there’s nothing dangerous around you.
When the music starts, move your whole body by spreading and stretching your arms wide and marching in place.
There’s also a finger-counting exercise, so you’ll get to use even the tips of your fingers.
If you find plain exercise boring, doing it while listening to your favorite songs might make it fun.
While seated indoors, loosen up and strengthen your body to the rhythm.