For People in Their 90s: Dance Tracks and Exercise Songs That Make Moving Your Body Fun!
In senior care facilities and day-service centers, activities are often planned so that residents can have fun, right?
During recreation time, it’s also common to include dance or light exercise, isn’t it?
This article introduces dance songs recommended for people in their 90s.
We’ve selected tracks—from youthful anthems and popular hits they listened to in their younger days to songs that suit dance and exercise.
Feel free to use this list to enjoy a wonderful time with people in their 90s.
With nostalgic songs as background music, moving the body might start to feel a bit more enjoyable!
- For seniors in their 80s: Stay healthy while having fun. Introducing dance songs that make you want to move!
- Also great for dementia care! Recommended dance songs for people in their 70s: Let’s dance to those classic hits
- For seniors: Recommended youthful songs for people in their 90s. A collection of classic Showa-era hits.
- [For Seniors] Recommended Songs for Care Activities and Events! Crowd-Pleasers That Bring Joy
- Recommended youth songs for people in their 80s: A collection of nostalgic classics
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- Lively songs recommended for people in their 90s—fun songs for everyone to listen to and sing together.
- Recommended cheer songs for people in their 90s: a collection of timeless tracks that support life
- Recommended Songs for Nursing Home Recreation [Fun Exercise, Soothing Songs]
- [For people in their 90s] Recommended Christmas songs: from nostalgic school songs and hymns to timeless classics
- A collection of cheerful, uplifting songs recommended for women in their 80s—fun, bright tunes to sing along to
- [For Seniors] A heartwarming round song. Let’s layer our voices with this nostalgic classic.
- Songs to Enjoy with Women in Their 90s: A Collection of Karaoke Crowd-Pleasers
[For People in Their 90s] Make Moving Your Body Fun! Dance Tracks & Exercise Songs (1–10)
Tokyo Dodonpa GirlWatanabe Mari
Mari Watanabe’s song was released as a single by Victor Records in January 1961 and is one of her signature tracks.
It’s a kayōkyoku number that incorporates the dodonpa rhythm, with lyrics that reflect the lives and feelings of young people at the time.
Expressing a passionate longing for the person one has fallen in love with, it skillfully portrays both the sweetness and the ache of first love.
The song was also used as the motif for a film of the same name, in which Mari Watanabe herself appears as a singer.
It became a million-seller and sparked a nationwide dodonpa boom in Japan.
It’s a tune you can enjoy just by clapping along to the rhythm.
12th graderFunaki Kazuo
It’s a refreshing song that conjures up a page from one’s youth.
It portrays the feelings of high school students on the verge of graduation, expressing not only the fun memories of school life but also moments of sadness and regret.
This realism and emotional depth resonated not only with young people of the time but also with adults who had already graduated, earning widespread support.
Released in June 1963 as Kazuo Funaki’s debut single, the song became a massive hit, selling one million copies within a year.
A film of the same title was also released, with Funaki himself appearing in it.
Dancing along to kayōkyoku (Japanese popular songs) sounds like it would make for a lovely experience, too.
Ah, there are tears in life.Satomi Kôtarô, Yokouchi Masashi
A classic song known as the theme for the film Mito Kōmon.
Released in 1973, it was sung by Kōtarō Satomi and Tadashi Yokouchi.
The lyrics, which sing of life’s joys, hardships, and hope, resonate with many people.
Its hallmark is expressing the universal theme that “life has both pleasure and pain” in words anyone can understand.
It harmonizes with the drama’s content and has been loved for many years.
The song is also very popular for karaoke.
Its arrangement, which effectively uses traditional Japanese instruments and brass, is appealing and has the power to encourage and uplift listeners.
Beloved across generations, it’s a great song to enjoy doing exercises or dancing together to.
[For people in their 90s] Make moving your body fun! Dance Tracks & Exercise Songs (11–20)
I look up as I walkSakamoto Kyu
This classic is one of Kyu Sakamoto’s signature songs.
Its bright, forward-looking melody lifts the spirit.
The lyrics, which sing of hope for the future even while holding back tears, have resonated with many.
Released in 1961, it became an instant smash hit.
It gained popularity not only in Japan but overseas under the title “Sukiyaki,” reaching No.
1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Kyu Sakamoto’s warm vocals and Rokusuke Ei’s deeply moving lyrics blend beautifully in this work.
It’s a song that gives you the courage to keep your head up and keep walking, especially in tough times.
With its gentle tempo, it’s also perfect as background music for exercise dance routines.
March of 365 StepsSuizenji Kiyoko
Released in November 1968, it was widely embraced and even chosen as the entrance march for the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament the following year.
As one of Kiyoko Suizenji’s signature songs, various versions have continued to be used in commercials and events.
The lyrics emphasize the importance of effort and humility on the journey to find happiness.
It’s a recommended song for those who value taking small steps each day or who want to move through life with a positive mindset.
How about matching the lyrics with choreography that involves swinging your arms wide as you walk?
Kiyoshi’s Zundoko SongHikawa Kiyoshi
A signature song by Kiyoshi Hikawa, known as a superstar of the enka world.
Released in February 2002, this piece has become a beloved staple for Bon Odori dances nationwide.
Its lyrics—featuring a spirited resolve to face life’s hardships, the bonds of family, and a deep longing for one’s hometown—leave a strong impression.
The rhythmic melody and Hikawa’s distinctive voice deliver hope, courage, and nostalgia to listeners.
The song has been cherished by many, with appearances on the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen for 22 consecutive years from 2000 to 2021, including headlining the show in 2008.
The choreography—swaying the arms left and right in front of the body—is memorable, and singing and dancing together is sure to lift both heart and body.
Tokyo Boogie-WoogieKasaogi Shizuko
A vibrant rhythm and melody that set your heart dancing—this is a postwar Japanese classic.
Shizuko Kasagi’s vocals vividly paint the bustling nights of Tokyo.
Riding the boogie-woogie beat, her exuberant celebration of love and music truly befits her title as the “Queen of Boogie.” Since its release in 1947, this piece has been lifting spirits across Japan.
She even released a self-remake in 1955, and its charm continues to shine across generations.
It was also featured in the 1976 film The Inugami Family, winning the hearts of audiences young and old.
Perfect for dance lovers—and for anyone who needs an energizing boost.