LOSE WEIGHT & GET FIT WITH TABLE TENNIS!
Health Benefits Of Table Tennis
Worldwide millions of people play table tennis, and with good reason. It is
entertaining, fun, fast and has great health benefits as well. Because of
the low risk of injury table tennis can be enjoyed by people of all ages and
fitness levels. When played regularly it improves reflexes, hand-eye
coordination and balance, while toning and strengthening the core muscles of
the upper and lower body. It’s great for working up a sweat and increasing
your heart rate, thus helping to keep your heart strong and healthy. Not
only is it a good cardiovascular exercise, it is also a great aerobic
workout. When running about the table your heart rate increases and your
body’s requirement for oxygen becomes much higher, therefore you breath
heavier, faster and deeper, which increases lung capacity in addition to how
efficiently your lungs use oxygen.
"Table Tennis is The World's Best Brain Sport!"
Renowned physician, psychiatrist and brain imaging expert, Dr Daniel Amen
"You still may think that calling table tennis a sport is silly, but
I think it is the best brain sport ever.
It is highly aerobic, uses both the upper and lower body, is great for
eye hand coordination and reflexes, and causes you to use many
different areas of the brain at once as you are tracking the ball,
planning shots and strategies, and figuring out spins.
Most notably, Dr Daniel Amen specifically points out that table
tennis:
Increases concentration and alertness
Stimulates brain function
Develops tactical thinking skills
Develops hand / eye coordination
Provides aerobic exercise
Provides social and recreational interaction
As well as being a fantastic physical work out, table tennis is also a
great mental work out. You have to plan strategies and decide what spin to
put on the ball, whilst trying to stay one step ahead of your opponent and
react to the shots they are playing all at the same time. Decisions have
to be made in split seconds, this increases concentration levels, short
term memory and decision making ability. All this mental exercise boosts
hormone levels and keeps the brain young, which can slow the progress of
cognitive decline that occurs with ageing. It is also a sport that is good
for social bonding, with its friendly but competitive nature, it can be
enjoyed at your local club where you can meet with new people and form
lasting friendships. It can also be played at home as a great way to spend
more quality time together and bring the family closer.
Numerous studies have found that table tennis activates various areas of
the brain simultaneously. By playing a game of table tennis, under any
conditions, an overall state of awareness is stimulated - requiring both
thought and physical alertness at the same time.
It has been also discovered that people in otherwise sedentary states -
i.e., living in retirement homes and care facilities where table tennis
tables have been introduced, have actually become mentally awakened when
playing the game. Incredibly, the game is now being recommended as a
method of warding off Alzheimer's and for assisting in the treatment of
dementia.
