3 health benefits of table tennis
If you love to play table tennis, you’ve probably wondered what the health benefits of table tennis actually are and if there are any! The good news is that there are plenty of health benefits associated with table tennis that have been keeping us fit since it’s very earliest days (when it was once known as whiff-whaff, by the way).
Table tennis embodies the finest qualities of the most addictive games – simple to pick up, but hard to master! Compared to more mainstream athletic games like football, rugby or tennis itself, most of us regard it as more of a fun pastime than a serious athletic pursuit. However, if you’re the sort of person who can happily knock out a quick game or two with your friends or family, you might be surprised to learn that having a table tennis table can be incredibly healthy.
1. Is Table Tennis Healthy For The Body?
Yes - it can offer a great workout and there are many health benefits of table tennis. As we’ve just alluded to, table tennis is a more athletic game than many of us give it credit for. Whilst it’s true that you’re never moving too far from the table, you do actually move around it quite a lot.
One of the main health benefits of table tennis is the cardiovascular workout that it gives you. Table tennis demands that you’re quick on your feet, giving you a short burst of high-intensity exercise. Over time, those can really add up! With a table of sufficiently decent size - such as our prestigious Pembridge Bespoke Pool & Table Tennis Table - some experts estimate that you can burn up to 272 calories by playing for as little as an hour at a time. As you might expect, that’s great for your general health. In fact, it’s even level with leisure cycling as an activity to get fit!
The Pembridge, handmade in the UK...
Apart from the obvious aerobic exercise, another health benefit of table tennis is improved blood flow as you stay active. In professional matches, the ball can move up to 60mph, which means table tennis players have fierce reflexes. Keeping pace with the game involves an immense amount of hand-eye coordination too. On top of that, it’ll naturally improve your balance, which is a great health benefit. We weren’t kidding when we said it’s good for you!
2. Is Table Tennis Good For The Brain?
Yes - one of the healthy benefits of table tennis is its effect on the brain.This is closely linked to what we’ve just been discussing about the speed of the ball – it improves your mental agility too. When you think about it, even in casual games you’re engaging your brain in a tonne of ways.
You’re watching for that tiny ball, you’re reading your opponent, you’re calculating the angle of your next shot, and you’re positioning your body to line up the shot. We could go on! All of this does wonders for your cognitive skills and awareness. For those of us over a certain age (we all get there eventually!), the health benefits of table tennis could be even more valuable. Studies have shown that it’s a great way to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s. Maybe it’s time to challenge gran to a game on a table like our beautiful You & Me Table Tennis table, from renowned design house RS Barcelona.
3. Is Table Tennis A Good Social Game?
Absolutely - table tennis is, above all, a social game. Any game that requires a minimum of two players is! In turn, that makes it an outdoor table tennis table perfect for socialising with your friends and family, maybe at a barbecue or two.
One of the lesser known health benefits of table tennis is its ability to banish common feelings like loneliness, and its fast-paced nature means it’s difficult for your worries to sneak up on you when you’re midway through a game. Humans are social animals by nature – we draw energy and happiness from spending time in each other’s company. And obviously, from thrashing our friends and/or family in clear, undisputed victories. That’s important too!
Table tennis is something of a forte of ours here at the Games Room Company. Our expansive Weybridge warehouse is literally packed full of them – so why not pop by, and see what we’ve got in stock? Start benefiting from the health benefits of table tennis today, by browsing our full collection of table tennis tables.
