5 Healthy Reason Why You Should Play Table Tennis / Ping Pong

5 Health Benefits of Playing Table Tennis / Ping Pong

Sports aren’t just for competitive reasons alone. Apart from public recognition among other things, sports also help to improve the mental and physical health of participants. Table tennis is no different and in this publication we will discuss the various health benefits of playing the game ; both mental and physical.

1). Low Risk of Getting Injured :

Interestingly, the health benefits of playing table tennis aren’t so much as byproducts of physical and mental exercises seeing that there are also other health/safety advantages in comparison to other sports. In table tennis, considering that all you need to do is toss a small ball with a reasonably sized paddle to your opponent on the other side of the table, there’s a zero chance of collisions or falls.

This is not to say that table tennis players don’t have injuries, but in most cases they are self-inflicted.

For example, poor use or overuse of a particular skill could cause injury, but certainly not from your opponent directly hitting his paddle on your head although there have been rare cases where opponents, intentionally or unintentionally threw their paddles at their opponents, but this rarely happens.

If you’re curious as to what type of injuries can occur , have a look at our list of possible table tennis injuries.

2). Weight Loss :

For those who need it, the phrase “Weight loss” often seems like the biggest complication ever. However, considering how entertaining and addictive table tennis is, frequent play is a fun way to lose weight.

Research has shown that in a high speed game like table tennis , a person weighing 150 pounds could burn up to 270 calories while improving their reflexes and body coordination. This is a very impressive record. It also helps stabilize your cardiovascular system and as an extension, improve your overall body fitness level.

The best part is that it is more fun than hitting the gym and doing several painful routines, and there is a lower risk of injury compared to other sports.

3). Development of Mental Acuity :

The most crucial skills for mastering table tennis include calculating the spin, speed and placement of the ball at every stroke. Sometimes, this feels like creating a puzzle for your opponent, while other times, you’d be solving the puzzle created by your opponent. This helps to stimulate different parts of the brain as you would have to anticipate the movement and shot placement of your opponent at every circle.

Research has shown that anticipation requires the use of the prefrontal cortex which is particular to strategic planning. Also, the aerobic exercise is a physical activity that stimulates the hippocampus of the brain.

This is very important for older people as it helps them form and retain facts and events for long periods. According to Alzheeimer’s Weekly, the increase in the flow of blood to the brain during play has a high chance of preventing dementia, and that’s good news for elderly people.

4). Improvement of Balance and Coordination :

Table tennis requires the ability to change direction quickly. To be successful in this endeavor, your balance has to be on point. The same goes for coordination. To follow the ball as quickly as possible while it moves to and from you, you need a pretty solid hand-eye coordination.

You also need to follow up with your legs, because having your entire body fully coordinated while placing a shot will improve your delivery and reduce your risk of having a dislocation.

The more you practice, the better you get at doing so. More specifically, the more you play, the more your body corrects these features in your body. However, what you really get are more permanent solutions to the mental alertness, tactical strategy and coordination of your body.

For young people, their reflexes are sharpened, while for older people, the sharpness of their senses are maintained and their tactics, refined.

5). Improvement of Core strength and Quality Exercise for the Joints :

Developing mental acuity, improving body coordination and weight loss are quite effective improvement as results of playing table tennis.

However, another benefit that ranks just as highly as these is the improvement of your core strength. Basically, this improvement increases the overall energy that your body can work with. It increases both mental and physical capacity from the inside out.

It is most effective for patients recovering from joint and back problems like knee joint problems and twisted ankles. You can get all this fixed without overtaxing your body or feeling too tired after every workout session. It provides you with a similar body upgrade in a longer but more endurable period.

Now over to you , are there any special health benefits that motivate you to play ping pong? Let’s have your comment below.

Meanwhile if you’re looking to get your first table , have a look at our buyer’s guide on the best table tennis tables.

Roland Campbell

Hey! , I am Roland Campbell , a recreational table tennis player for over 5 years and counting. I do a lot of research on table tennis (Ping Pong) and publish my findings here at Pingthatpong.