Ping Pong Is Fitness? – The Health and Fitness Benefits of Table Tennis

Introduction

There are many ways that you will be able to keep fit. For example, some people like running, others prefer to go to the gym.

However, one of the most enjoyable ways of staying fit is by playing a sport, like ping pong.

This sport can have several benefits for your overall health, from increasing your physical fitness to improving your overall mental well-being.

For this reason, many people include ping pong as a core part of their exercise routine.

Nine Reasons to Consider Ping Pong for Fitness

Let’s look at some of the reasons why you might want to consider taking up this sport.

Fast-Paced

One of the biggest benefits is how quick the game is. This makes each contest exciting, keeping many players hooked.

However, it can also be a great way of making sure that you are keeping fit. For example, your body will always be in motion. You’ll either be making a shot or preparing to take one. Because of this, each game will offer a great workout.

It also makes it easier for you to lose weight. It’s estimated that you will be able to burn around 200 to 350 calories per hour when playing ping pong.

As you learn more advanced techniques, such as new foot positions, the number of calories burned will increase. Depending on the style you adopt, you might be able to burn around 500 calories per hour.

Targets Several Key Areas

When you play ping pong you will also be targeting several key body groups.

First, you will need to work out your feet and legs, as you position yourself on the right side of the table. Next, you’ll be using your core muscles, as you twist your body to make the shot.

Then, you’ll use your arms and hands to manipulate the paddle into the right position and hit the ball. Because of this, you will be able to ensure that you are getting a full-body workout. This will provide many health benefits.

As we mentioned, this can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can also provide an aerobic workout, improving your lung and heart health.

Safer Way To Work Out

While ping pong can provide many health benefits, it isn’t a high-risk activity. For example, some sports, like football, carry a high likelihood that players will be injured. This is often due to the intense pressures placed on the body. This can also extend to using equipment at the gym, especially if you are using the incorrect techniques.

Thankfully, ping pong doesn’t place your body under any intense pressures. This significantly reduces the risk that you will injure yourself while playing ping pong. It’s also easy for you to adjust the game to better suit your condition.

For example, if you have a poor back, or are recovering from a knee injury, you will be able to play a slower game. As you build up strength in those areas, you can slowly start to increase the speed at which you are playing. This makes it the perfect game for people of all ages to enjoy.

Improves Your Reflexes

You will also be able to use ping pong to help improve your reflexes. This is because the game forces you to react quickly.

As an example, the ball might bounce unexpectedly and you need to rapidly change your approach to hit it back. This makes it the perfect way to hone your fine muscles, as you practice making very precise adjustments quickly, to make sure that you hit the ball at the correct angle.

Improves Hand-Eye Co-ordination

Another key area that ping pong will allow you to improve is your hand-eye coordination. As you play the game, you will need to learn to keep your eye on the ball.

In some cases, a momentary lapse in concentration is all that’s required for the ball to make an unexpected bounce and for you to lose the point as a result. This means that you will need to practice getting your paddle into the correct position without watching your hands.

The more you practice, the more natural this aspect of the game will become, and the better your hand-eye coordination will be.

Improves Problem Solving Skills

While ping pong is a very simple game to play, it has a strong strategic component.

For example, you will need to think about the way that your opponent has hit the ball, calculate its trajectory, so you can find the place where it is likely to land.

This will make sure that you are in the right place and can return the serve. You will also need to observe your opponents moves, to see if there are any parts of their game that you can exploit.

This extra complexity will ensure that your problem-solving skills will improve, as you need to make these judgments very quickly. This has been shown to help you improve your mental health.

Improves Your Focus

When playing, you will need to be able to focus on the movement of the ball. To do this, you will need to learn how to block out other distractions and focus more exclusively on the way that the ball is moving. This can have several mental health benefits.

For example, you will be able to improve your attention span. This is especially important for younger players, as technology like phones, works to shorter our attention span.

This might also make it easier to do other activities. For example, you might find it easier to enter a meditative state. This will allow you to deal with stress and anxiety.

Helps You Build Social Connections

Depending on how you set-up the table, you don’t need to play ping pong with other people. For example, you can choose to lift one side of the table up, forming a wall, which you can use to practice your shots.

However, in most cases, you will be playing ping pong with someone else. This can be a great way to further your social connection. For example, you can use the game as a way for you to break the ice when meeting someone for the first time.

In some cases, you might want to consider joining a ping pong club, as a great way to increase your social circle. An increased social connection has been shown to have a few other benefits. For example, you will be able to improve your communication skills. It can also prevent feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Motivates You To Exercise

One of the biggest reasons why people don’t exercise is because they have a lack of motivation. This is why so many people take out a gym membership at the start of the year but only attend for a few weeks.

Taking up an activity like ping pong can help you prevent this. The strategy used makes each session unique, so you will never get bored with the game.

Also, it has a strong social aspect. This means that there will be a group of people who can encourage you to participate. This will help you incorporate pin pong into your daily routine.

Tips for Setting Up Your Ping Pong Game Space

As you can see, there are a few reasons why you might want to take up ping pong. To make sure that you get the right enjoyment, you will need to make sure to set-up the space properly. This tends to be a fairly simple exercise.

First, you will need to assemble the table. When doing this, make sure that you choose an area that gives the players enough space to move around it without bumping into anything. For this reason, most people prefer to set this up in the garage or play the game outside. Once the table is constructed, you will need to get out the other equipment, like the ping pong balls and the bats.

Many people are concerned that they won’t have enough space for the ping pong table. However, this is often not a major issue. Today, you will be able to find foldable tables. These models are designed to be easy for you to store. Because of this, you will be able to put them into a cupboard or lean them against the wall. This means that there is no excuse for not taking up the sport of ping pong.

Where to Learn More About Ping Pong

If you are interested in the history of table tennis, you can read it here. As we’ve seen, there are several health benefits that you can get from playing ping pong.

For example, you will be able to improve your joint mobility, get a full-body workout, and burn plenty of calories. It also presents some mental health benefits like improving your focus and helping you build a strong social connection.

You can try this sport for yourself, in the comfort of your own home, as long as you find the right equipment. If you want to know what you should be looking for, make sure to check out this informative ping pong paddle article. Try ping pong today and experience this fun way of staying fit and healthy.

Five Health Benefits Of Table Tennis

Many people are playing table tennis to have fun. That’s a pretty given, as this has always been an enjoyable sport. But for others, it is a means of getting healthy.

We have to admit that while the sport appears to be simple, it is actually a great way to uplift our bodies. It is perfect for those who want to get fit.

If you are seriously in doubt with the benefits of ping pong, the following list will surely change your mind!

Muscle Flexibility and Coordination

Table tennis is an excellent means to improve the muscle coordination of the body.

Don’t ever think that this sport only involves your arms. Even in a limited playing space, all of the muscle groups of your body have to move–from head to toe.

It is a rigorous sport, honestly, especially if you are going to take it seriously. But in the long run, it will improve your locomotion and overall muscle flexibility.

As you can see, professional table tennis players have insane move sets. They are capable of returning serves and strikes in any given position and location.

This display is proof that their bodies have been nimble enough to be as mobile as possible. Don’t forget to stretch before you play!

Weight Loss

Again, while table tennis is a simple-looking sport, this doesn’t mean that it is not exhausting. Many people consider it as an excellent cardiovascular exercise; it can really make you breathless!

The game can be played in multiple sets, and each set can consist of fast-paced and explosive rallies. Don’t ever think that doing these things repetitively will not burn the calories in your body.

Of course, they will–and so are your excess fats! It is one of the reasons why many instructors and fitness specialists always recommend people to do sports like ping pong.

You don’t need to go to a swampy gym just to reduce your weight. As long as you have the necessary equipment such as the best table tennis rackets and tables, you are already good to go!

Improves Balance

Body balance training is essential. It keeps us straight and composed during all the physical activities we do.

Of course, it has to be emphasized that balance can prevent us from being involved in accidents. It is a way of making us immune to clumsiness and recklessness.

Table tennis can improve your sense of balance. It sets your important muscles on a healthy balance training.

Specifically, it ensures that you can have good control over your core muscles and the muscle groups in your legs. Even if you move fast or briskly, you will never trip over.

The more you play table tennis, the more you can develop a healthy constitution of your body.

Enhance Mental Sharpness

In ping pong, having a lagging mind is not good. It prevents you from anticipating the attacks of your opponents.

When you play this game regularly, your mind will be conditioned and trained. It is a mental training that encourages you to think better and faster.

Sure enough, if you want to win the game, you need to be as quick-witted as possible. Your decisions should be correct and calculated, too.

The good thing about these perks is that you can use them even if you are away from the table anymore. Mental sharpness is something that you can exhibit in your job or school.

It gives you leverage when it comes to making tough decisions and prudent actions that can lead you to success.

Stress Reliever

Lastly, I want to highlight the wonders of ping pong as a form of stress reliever. If you are feeling anxious, pressured, or emotionally-strained, I do recommend that you play this game.

Table tennis is a fun sport, especially if played with your close friends and family. It can distract from whatever baffling matters that are occupying your mind.

Of course, playing ping pong will not solve your problems. But it can help you be mentally and emotionally stable.

Furthermore, it improves your ability to bounce back, too.

Conclusion

Ping Pong or table tennis offers a ton of health benefits and it’s a super fun way to get in your daily fitness. The paddles are just waiting for you to grab them!

Table tennis can help you improve muscle flexibility and coordination, help you lose weight, improve your balance, reduce stress, and even enhance mental sharpness.

Don’t hesitate to try this sport. It is a worthy form of leisure and exercise at the same time! That’s it for now. If you have questions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.

About Shannon Clark

Shannon holds a degree in Exercise Science and is a certified personal trainer and fitness writer with over 10 years of industry experience.