Exercise types and ideas for people with dementia
There are different types of movement and exercise that are more suitable to people depending on the stage of dementia and their physical abilities.
- Physical activity, movement and exercise for people with dementia
- Getting started with exercise as a person with dementia
- You are here: Exercise types and ideas for people with dementia
Physical activity and exercise
Less intensive movements for people with dementia
If moderate or vigorous activities aren’t suitable for you, you may want to try lighter activities. These may be suitable if you have limited fitness levels or difficulty with movement. This includes many daily living tasks such as:
- doing housework
- bringing in the shopping
- taking your dog for a walk
- pacing while waiting for the kettle to boil
- doing some gentle stretches during TV ad breaks
- walking up and down the stairs
- standing up slowly and sitting down again every so often.
Moderate physical activities for people with dementia
These activities are more likely to get you moving at a moderate intensity. An activity is moderate if it makes you breathe faster and feel warmer. As a guide, you’ll still be able to talk but not sing the words to a song.
Remember to warm up and stretch before starting any of these activities.
Vigorous exercises suitable for people with dementia
Vigorous or strenuous physical activities should make you breathe hard and fast. Being this active means you can’t say more than a few words before you’re out of breath.
Vigorous activities may suit you if you are already active. Speak to your GP or other health professional if you’re not currently very active and looking to do any of these activities.
It’s very important to warm up and stretch before carrying out any of the following activities each time. This is also the case for moderate activities. Many of these can be vigorous if you increase your effort doing them.
Physical activity resources, support and ideas for people with dementia
- Alzheimer's Scotland produce a wide range of information about dementia, including a booklet called 'Just Move: Physical Activity and exercise ideas for people living with dementia’ created in partnership with the NHS and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
- Dementia Adventure is a charity that organises short breaks and holidays for people living with dementia and their family and friends
- Dementia Toolkit is a collection of research and evidence-based resources for people with dementia and their carers
- Keep Fit Association offers people the opportunity to meet in a spirit of fun to exercise together. It offers a range of classes, including dedicated classes to people over 50, across the UK
- The Sporting Memories Foundation is a charity dedicated to sports reminiscence and physical activities
- We Are Undefeatable is a campaign that supports people with a range of long-term health conditions. It has been developed by 15 leading health and social care charities, including Alzheimer’s Society.
Find exercises and activities in your area
AgeUK have an exercise directory to help you find activities in your area.
Seated exercises help with muscle strength and balance and may be better for anyone who finds standing exercises more difficult. You can try doing seated exercises while watching the TV. The intensity can be increased over time by using resistance bands or light weights.
However, seated exercises can put a lot of strain on the lower back, so speak to the GP before trying these.
Some examples of seated exercises include:
The British Gymnastics Foundation has a dementia-friendly seated gymnastics programme called Love to move.
These are gentle forms of Chinese martial arts. They use slow and simple movements to improve balance, strength and stability. This can help to reduce the risk of falls and support you to stay agile.
Both yoga and Pilates are activities that can improve balance and stability, as well as overall strength. They can help improve how flexible you are. They can also increase how far and easily you can stretch. This is known as your ‘range of motion’. There are a number of dementia-friendly classes for both yoga and Pilates around the UK. More information can be found on the Age UK website.
These can help with balance and hand-eye coordination. Taking part can also provide good opportunities for meeting and interacting with other people. As the movements are quite slow, this reduces the risk of injury. Your local leisure centre may offer indoor bowls sessions, or you can buy sets from some sports stores.