Simple Fitness for Senior Citizens!

People of all ages need to stay physically active. Senior citizens are no exception. Many nursing homes have Activities Director’s to coordinate exercise programs, but some do not. Most nursing homes appreciate volunteer help, and would be happy to have help with senior exercise. A visit to your nearest nursing home should yield a happy invitation to join in on the fun. Ask for the Activities Director, and fill out a background check and application. Before you know it, you could be helping seniors stay active!

How do I begin?

Start by getting to know the participants. People of all ages love to talk, and to be asked about themselves. Be friendly, upbeat and attentive. To draw attention to planned activities, post them on an announcements board, where all residents pass by and can see them. Make announcements thirty minutes prior to your class, so that everybody is ready when its time to start. Have volunteers go to individual rooms and encourage participation.

Your first goal should be to get to know your participants. If someone is hard of hearing, you might want to place him or her in front of the group. If one is blind, or can only move certain body parts; you’ll want to know so you can arrange an assistant to help them. Many, if not most of your students will be wheelchair bound. Here are tips to keep in mind when mingling with wheelchair users:

• Never lean on their chair.
• Always ask the resident if they would like to be pushed.
• Never start pushing their wheelchair without their knowledge or permission.
• Kneel on the floor or sit in a chair beside the person, when speaking to him.
• As with anyone, make eye contact at all times.

Once you have met with the participants, you can start your exercise routines.

• Make sure there is plenty of fresh drinking water for the residents.
• Arrange them in a semi-circle, so that everyone can see and hear you clearly.
• Remind the residents to breathe steadily and regularly during exercise, and to stop if they feel fatigued.
• Remember to count out each exercise, so that the participants know what they have accomplished.

Begin with "pumping iron" nursing home style.

This can be done with any canned vegetable from the kitchen! Start at a comfortable weight, whether it’s a single serve can of peas or a 16-ounce can of beans, and work your way up to heavier weights. For members that cannot grasp items well, slip the can into an ordinary sock, which has been knotted at the open end. The sock provides an easy grip texture.

Breathing and posture exercise:

Making sure your students are sitting up straight, have them take deep breaths, while raising and lowering their arms which each breathe. Do this three times.

Facial Exercises:

• Open and close your mouth five times. Repeat.
• Open and close your eyes five times. Repeat.
• Make a huge smile, or a giant frown. Look angry or happy.
• Lift eyebrows as high as possible, and then relax. Repeat ten times.

Neck Exercise:

• Lean your head to the right, then lean it back to the left. Repeat five times.
• Nod your head up and down for fifteen seconds.
• Shake your head back and forth for fifteen seconds.

Shoulder Exercises:

• Shrug both shoulders up and down at a comfortable speed. Alternate shoulder shrugs. Do these five times each.
• Interlock fingers in front of chest. Raise hands high, and then bring down behind the head. Repeat five times.
• Clap hands! Do this twenty times.
• Clap hands over your head. Do this ten times.

Wrist Exercises:

• Holding fingers out, rotate your wrists in a circular pattern. Do this ten times. Reverse the direction and repeat ten times.
• Holding fingers straight, move your hand up, and then back down. Repeat five times.
• Do the last exercise, using both hands together.

Finger Exercises:

• Make a fist, and then relax fingers. Repeat twenty times.
• Move your fingers like a spider. Continue for one full minute.
• Spread fingers open as wide as they will go. Repeat twenty times.
• Rub hands together quickly for thirty seconds.
• Starting with a loose fist, release one finger at a time. Reverse the process by returning fingers to loose fist.

Stomach Exercise:

Sit up straight as possible and suck in your stomach. Hold for two seconds. Repeat five times.

Waist Exercise:

Turn sideways in your chair and look at your neighbor on the right. Now, reverse and look at the person on your left. Do this five times each side.

Rear End Exercise:

Squeeze your buttocks, and then relax. Do this five times.

Lower Back Exercise:

Sitting with feet flat on the floor, lean over and try to touch your toes. Feel the stretch? Repeat five times.

Leg Exercises:

• Walk in place, while seated. Move each foot up and down in a walking motion. Do these thirty seconds.
• March in place, while seated. The same as walking, but a little bit faster. Do these thirty seconds.
• Lift one leg up from floor, and straighten. Repeat with other leg. Repeat five times.

Foot and Ankle Exercises:

• Ex Extend leg and foot, and rotate ankle in a circular motion five times. Repeat with other leg.
• Point your toes and flex your feet, rotating each foot in a circle. Do this ten times each foot.

Toe Exercises:

• Spread toes as wide as possible, and then relax. Repeat five times.
• Wriggle toes for thirty seconds.

Relax!

Additional games and activities for Nursing Home Residents:

• Bingo!
• Wheelchair bowling.
• Simon Says.
• Sing-a-longs.
• Wheelchair races.
• Manicure parties.
• The “list anything” game. For instance, list all the animals you can think of, or birds, or cars, or states, or?
• Memory game. For instance, “Who wants to tell a special birthday story?” Or, “A wedding story.” You can choose anything they might remember.

In Closing, please make sure you do not over exert the nursing home residents. This is for circulation and fun, not for losing calories! And having fun is what you are there for!