Typical play session of the Robson Ranch Table Tennis Club.
Don Pooley
Whether you are playing doubles or singles, table tennis can be a fast-paced competitive sport and has many health benefits for active seniors like ourselves.
The top ten health benefits of table tennis
* Playing improves hand-eye coordination and it stimulates mental alertness, concentration and tactical strategy.
* Develops mental acuity. The speed, spin and placement of the ball are crucial in table tennis, challenging players in both creating and solving puzzles involving these three elements of the game.
* Improves reflexes. Due to the game’s fast-pace and its shot short-distance, both gross and fine muscle movements are improved.
* It’s easy on the joints. Have you had knee surgery, back problems, tired of twisting your ankles? Table tennis is a great way to improve your leg, arm and core strength without overtaxing your joints.
* Burns calories. Table Tennis can be a fun and easy way to burn calories. A 150-pound person can burn 272 calories by playing table tennis for an hour.
* Offers a social outlet. Table Tennis offers a great way to bond with other people while you lose weight.
* Keeps your brain sharp. Preliminary clinical studies in Japan found that table tennis markedly increases the flow of blood to the brain and could possibly even prevent dementia.
* Improves coordination. Following the ball as it moves quickly toward you and following its trajectory as your opponent hits it helps improve hand-eye coordination.
* Improves balance. Staying balanced and being able to quickly change direction are key to playing table tennis. This is especially important for the active seniors.
* Stimulates various parts of the brain. Anticipating an opponent’s shot and the physical activity of table tennis stimulate parts of the brain used for planning and long-term memory.
2019 is a great year to achieve these ten health benefits and make table tennis a key activity in your mental and physical healthy lifestyle at Robson Ranch.
Please stop by and say hello to the Table Tennis gang during one of our “Table Tennis” play times: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon to 2:30 p.m. and on Sunday 10:00 a.m. to noon. Our members are always ready to lend a hand, helping new interested participants improve their table tennis game and become an active player in our weekly table tennis sessions.
Become a Robson Ranch Table Tennis Club member and take advantage of activities that the club sponsors, especially the double tournament coming this fall.