Get Ready 2 Play Some Ping Pong!

Are you looking to get fit during and after the pandemic? Do you currently own a ping-pong table? Do you enjoy doing sports as an older adult? Are you tired of those boring aerobics workouts that you do everyday in your living rooms? Do you need a change in your indoor workout routines? If you answer yes to all of these questions, read this informative but engaging blog about the benefits of playing ping-pong for older adults!

Ping-pong (also known as table tennis) isn't just a game that you find in offices of technology start-ups or recreation and entertainment facilities for families. It is actually a highly competitive sport that is valued and enjoyed in many nations across the globe, such as China.

Ping pong is not just for younger people. As a matter of fact, ping-pong is a fantastic sport for older adults, especially when looking after your own wellbeing is critical during your elderly years. Seniors are prone to experiencing chronic health conditions, a decline in cognitive functioning, mental health disorders like Alzheimers and Depression, physical injuries and other deficiencies in the body that can compromise their ability to live independently. For seniors to decrease their risks of experiencing declines in their physical, cognitive and mental wellbeing, a variety of physical and fitness activities are key to healthy living. Doesn't matter if you are more of a sports person, an aerobics person or someone that prefers to enjoy simpler forms of exercise like walking; any form of physical activity is fine, as long as you are maintaining your health and wellbeing during these critical times of your life.

For more information on the physical, mental, social and cognitive health benefits of playing ping-pong, explore the list of the top 8 benefits that seniors can gain out of playing indoor sports like ping-pong!

A chance to be social

In lieu of spending a dark rainy or arctic-cold winter afternoon watching hours of television with a group of friends, replace it with a fun activity that will benefit your health and give you the opportunity to move around indoors. Like other sports such as bowling, ping-pong is an amazing form of physical and mental exercise, while you still have the opportunity to socialize and connect with your friends and families. Since ping-pong isn't considered a "solitary sport" like basketball or soccer, it can be an awesome addition of your list of things to do with friends on a yucky weather day indoors!

Improves hand-eye coordination

Many elderly people experience drastic changes in their hand-eye coordination, as they get older and weaker. Unfortunately, this is a natural part of the aging process, however there are great ways for seniors to keep those movements sharp! In a game of ping-pong, players are required to focus on where the ball is at all times and move with it. Continuous practice enables seniors to maintain their cognitive wellbeing, as well as keeping their hand-eye coordination in better shape. Many ping-pong players realize that over a period of time, they notice improvements in these forms of movements.

Stimulates the human mind in various ways

Many of your favourite pastimes only work your brain in one or two particular ways at a time. (Think about quiet and sedentary hobbies like watching films, reading, knitting, playing solitaire, doing puzzles and painting ). With ping-pong, several parts of your brain are activated all at once. For instance, when you figure out the next shot, you are actively thinking about strategy, which activates the prefrontal part of the human brain- the hippocampus. Hippocampus is a part of the brain that retains long-term memories. A quick game of ping-pong is a fantastic way to keep your brain alive!

Improves balance

When you play a game of ping-pong, the ball usually moves at a quick pace. As a result, the players frequently have to rapidly change direction in orderr to successfully make their next move. This type of movement is ideal for improving your balance, which is vital for the elderly. Seniors who play ping-pong on a regular basis, often notice positive changes in balance, which can stop future falls.

A perfect workout for seniors

Ping-pong is a perfect way to sneak in some athletic activity into your daily fitness routine. When you are playing a game with friends, you don't likely think of it as a form of exercise, nevertheless it is a great calorie burner! Ping-pong enables you to burn more than 250 calories per hour, if you weight 150 pounds. When the weather prevents you from hiking outdoors, and doing any form of exercise that requires you to be outdoors, ping-pong is a smart alternative for indoor workouts, that can make you sweat!

Keeps reflexes sharp

Ping-pong is a quick-paced kind of game, which requires players to respond quickly. Constant practice allows players to improve on their manual dexterity and keep those reflexes working well! Fast reflexes are important, beyond the ping-pong table! A fast reaction time makes all the difference in attempting to recover from a stumble and could inhibit a fall.

Ping-pong is effective for people with dementia

Several years ago, the Sport and Art Education Foundation (SAEF) launched a therapeutic ping-pong program which was targeted to seniors with early stage Alzheimer's and multiple forms of dementia. Since table tennis is beneficial for different parts of the human brain, players can strengthen their overall state of awareness.

Ping-pong is gentle on the joints

For people who had medical procedures such as receiving knee surgery, who have a history of back issues, or merely thosse who do not want to twist their ankles while playing sports, ping-pong is a healthy and wise alternative to other forms of physical activity!

Final thoughts?!

Asides from other sports like bowling, badminton and tennis, ping-pong is another one of my top favourite sports. I have been a leisure ping-pong player since I was a pre-teen. Whenever I visit my friend at his house for birthday parties, we would play ping-pong with some of his other close friends in the basement of his small, vintage-looking and quiet house. Five months before the pandemic began in March 2020, I was able to actively participate in the intercampus ping-pong and badminton contest at the college that I currently attend. I loved having the opportunity to mingle and connect with other students, while staying active and enjoying a few games of ping-pong! I hope to enjoy ping-pong well into my later stages of adulthood, after exploring all of the positive mental, cognitive and physical health advantages of playing ping-pong.

The same experiences that I have had playing and enjoying ping-pong in my youth can still be valued by seniors, even if they don't join college competitions or play with a bunch of post-secondary students! There are multiple programs and facilities that will be able to accommodate ping-pong players of all ages, genders, abilities, ethnicities and income levels. Some may be expensive, some may be low-cost and some may be free of charge, but that's for you to decide! Depending on where you reside across the globe, there may be a selection of community centres or drop-in recreational hubs for seniors that are worth seeking for to enjoy some drop-in and free ping-pong games with other seniors citizens. I believe that ping-pong can be enjoyed by people of all genders, ages, abilities, religions, ethnicities and income levels. Whether you are playing competitively or recreationally, any form of sport like ping-pong is beneficial to the long-term health and wellbeing of humans.