Standing Balance Drills
What could be easier than standing? But when you’re a senior, it gets harder, and that’s why it’s important to do balance drills every day. Stand outside in a comfortable environment and practice standing on one leg. If you can find other people to exercise with you, all the better.
Brisk Walking
One day a week, ditch the car and walk to all the places you need to go. A daily walk improves your cardiovascular health, strengthens your leg muscles, and helps you improve your mood. The vitamin D you’ll get from walking outside specifically is also good for you.
Tai Chi
When the weather’s nice, you can do Tai Chi in the park! This is a martial art, but a very gentle one, and it’s meant to enhance your balance and coordination. Many people swear by it. And doing it in a group also helps seniors boost their social connections, something vitally important.
Water Aerobics
Older people love water aerobics because it’s basically getting a workout without the fear of falling. People with arthritis find it particularly good. If you do these workouts in an outdoor pool in the fresh air, you’re also getting the benefit of vitamin D.
Chair Yoga
Chair yoga is another one beloved by seniors, because it gives them all the benefits of yoga but they can use a chair for balance. This workout is thought to improve mindfulness, circulation, and mental clarity. Plus if you do it outside, you get some all-important fresh air.
Gardening as Exercise
Many senior centers offer gardening as exercise now. Pulling weeds, planting flowers, and doing some light digging is thought to improve muscles and hand-eye coordination. It’s also thought it reduces stress and boosts mindfulness. And you get a nice garden at the end of it!
Nordic Walking
This is like regular walking, except you have two poles like ski poles to help you along. It's easier on knees and hips than traditional walking and it’s thought to improve your muscles, balance and posture. Seniors also like it because they get to talk to people as they go along.
Stretching
It’s thought that a daily 15-minute routine of stretching can prevent muscle stiffness and improve mobility, making everyday activities easier for seniors and reducing the risk of injury or falls. And if you do these exercises outside, you also get the benefits of fresh air.
Biking
Some people think that they can’t bike anymore once they get older, but they very much can. Gentle biking on a paved trail is a great form of exercise for seniors, one that strengthens their legs and improves their balance.
Resistance Band Training
Resistance band training is a workout that can be done even in a wheelchair. The gentle exercise will tone your muscles and improve bone density, plus you get all the sunshine and vitamin D benefits if you do them outside.
Light Hiking
No matter how old you get, you should never lose your connection with the outdoors. So gentle hikes on well-maintained trails are not only good for getting you out in nature, they also improve cardiovascular health, leg strength, and coordination.
Pickleball
Pickleball is a fun competitive sport that’s very popular among seniors. It enhances hand-eye coordination, balance, and reflexes while also providing social interaction, something that’s vitally important as you get older.
Outdoor Dancing
If you danced in your youth – or even if you didn’t – it’s important to keep dancing as you get older. Many elderly people find dancing a joy, not a workout, and they love the social interaction of it all as well. Do it outside and get fresh air benefits too!
Golf
Golf for seniors includes an important change: you walk to the next hole instead of using a cart. Then when you get there, using the club to hit the ball improves hand-eye coordination and improves the muscles. Many people find it’s good for promoting mindfulness, too.
Birdwatching
Even something as simple as birdwatching can be a workout for elderly people. The walking improves joint health, the act of looking for birds helps with mental health, and the fresh air gets vitamin D into the system. Do it in a group, and that’ll help fend off loneliness as well, something that’s very important as you get older.
Beach Walking
Beach walking is different from hiking - the uneven surface of the sand strengthens muscles in the legs and feet, improving balance and coordination. And if you don’t get to the beach very much, it can also be a huge boost to your mental health.
Bodyweight Exercises
Simple movements like squats, wall push-ups, and step-ups are known as bodyweight exercises, and they help build strength and stability for an elderly person. If you do them in a large, friendly group and outside in the sun, all the better.
Kayaking
This is another one people just don’t think of when it comes to senior workouts and healthcare. But kayaking on calm waters is a very gentle workout, and it boosts mental health tremendously to be safely out on the water with a friendly group of people.
Circuit Training
Circuit training is a group of exercises that includes push ups, sit-ups, jumping and more. Many people think they won’t be able to do it as an elderly person, but soon realize that yes they can – and that doing the exercises outdoor helps their mental health as well.
Step Aerobics
Step aerobics is a very popular workout for seniors. All you need is a step and a can-do attitude. Get your step, go outside, blast some music (with permission!) and you’ll soon find yourself getting into the exercise zone.
Shuffleboard
This game is popular on cruise ships, but you can do it anywhere. It’s a very easy sport where you bend, stretch, and walk short distances, all while maintaining a relaxed environment. Playing with other people also helps fight loneliness.
Nature Photography Walks
A nature photography walk may not seem like a workout for the young, but for older people it can really stretch the muscles. And more importantly, it can stretch the mind as well. Taking photos in the great outdoors boosts mental health and gives a sense of accomplishment.
Resistance Ball Exercises
Don’t underestimate resistance balls when it comes to workouts. These balls improve balance and coordination while reducing stress on the joints, and doing them outdoors and in a group helps seniors all the more.
Tai Chi Walking
This is a combination of, you guessed it, Tai Chi and walking. It’s all about balance and careful foot placement. Many seniors find it boosts their leg strength and that all-important mental clarity while also helping them meditate.
Stair Climbing
This is similar to step exercises, except you use actual stairs. Go to a park with a big group, find some stairs, and walk up and down them while chatting with your fellow seniors. You’ll find it a big boost to both your physical and mental health.
Outdoor Meditation Walks
This is walking with a difference. Along the way, you need to be mindful, listening to your breathing and connecting to the world around you. So this isn’t one to do if you want to talk to people as you go along – instead it’s all about finding meaning in nature and exercise.
Frisbee
Frisbee is a popular game on college campuses, but it’s gaining popularity with the senior crowd now as well. Movements like reaching, twisting, and walking to retrieve the frisbee keep the body active in a gentle way, and the fresh air gets vitamin D into your system.
Stretch Band Walking
This is another combination exercise. You walk while simultaneously using a stretch band to keep your arms active. It boosts upper-body endurance and promotes good posture while also keeping the legs active. And if you can chat with other people while doing it, so much the better.
Soccer
Soccer is incredibly popular in the UK and people of all ages have “kick abouts” where the rules of the game are relaxed. There’s absolutely nothing stopping older people from joining in, and it gets the heart pleasingly pumping.
Laughter Yoga
Some people don’t really get laughter yoga, but others swear by it. It’s basically doing yoga… while you laugh. Even if you find nothing funny, you should be laughing. It’s thought to improve the mood and also boost the heart rate. Gather some like-minded people together, give it a go, and see what you think.
Basketball
This is another sport that people think is strictly for the young when it’s really not. It can be very beneficial to go outside and practice throwing a ball into the hoop. Even if you miss, it helps improve hand-eye coordination, and of course it also gets you outside.
Qigong
Qigong is a little like Tai Chi, but it puts more emphasis on breathing. It’s thought to improve flexibility, circulation, and energy levels, and many people find that it improves their sense of inner calm without hurting the body.
Lawn Bowling
This isn’t like ten-pin bowling, instead it’s a fun ball game played outside on a lawn. People find that it improves their balance and hand-eye coordination, while mental health wise it also helps with focus. You do need the equipment but it’s a one-off expense.
Dog Walking
The impact a dog can have on senior health cannot be overstated. If you’re a senior who’s feeling lonely, advertise some dog-walking services – you might find both your physical health and mental health are vastly improved. Plus, you can make some extra money on the side!
Elliptical Machines
Some parks now feature outdoor elliptical machines and they’re well worth having a go on if you’re a senior looking to improve your physical health. These machines offer a full-body cardio workout without stressing the joints too much, and of course doing these exercises outside helps with your mental health as well.
