The first time I played ping pong, my friend invited me to play at a table. I had some knowledge of what ping-pong was that was passed down from older siblings and parents, but no experience actually playing the game. In-person it seemed as if it would be fun to play with some friends, plus there were beer pong tables next to it so we were going to have a couple drinks too before heading home – Never a bad idea!

Now, I am not one for exercise. It’s never been my thing. . . maybe if it was enjoyable enough I would be more willing to put in hard work, but that is hardly the case with most things aimed towards health or fitness! Hence my disdain for gyms and workouts – especially when there are parties involved.

Is Ping Pong a Good Workout: So I and two friends of mine walked up to this table, which was situated near some beer pong tables at a friend of mine’s basement. The equipment seemed simple enough, so naturally, we had no qualms about setting up shop right away.  We didn’t have any rackets though, so my friend decided he would go run down to his room to grab his racket.

Health Benefits of Ping Pong

Ping pong is a fast-paced game that can help you in multiple ways. With its cardiovascular workout, it can keep your heart healthy and strong. It also helps with coordination which can be beneficial for children who need to learn motor skills like handwriting.

It’s great for eye-hand coordination too! And last but not least, our favorite benefit – increased brainpower! A recent study shows that people who play table tennis have higher levels of GABA neurotransmitters in their brains than those who don’t. GABA is responsible for preventing anxiety and depression by slowing down activity in the brain so neurons can rest longer without being bombarded with stimuli from other parts of the body.

Playing table tennis can prevent a dangerous build-up of impulses from the constant bombardment of stimuli, which may result in better communication between neurons.

“Ping pong is one of those rare sports that exercise your body and mind at the same time,” says Dr. Andrew Ferreira who presented these results. “I’ve been recommending it to my patients for years.”

Some of the health benefits of Ping Pong include:

Is Ping Pong a Good Workout benefit to the body?

Ping Pong is a fast moving game, which can work up an appetite. One of the health benefits of Ping Pong is that it helps increase your metabolism and burn more calories than most exercises. This can help people lose weight and decrease their risk of diabetes.

Ping Pong also works out many muscles in your body while playing including arms, legs, back and abdominals; making it one of the top low impact sports for seniors and great for rehabbing injuries or working out muscle imbalances.

Many athletes use some form of mental training like Yoga or meditation due to its proven benefits on focus and achievement; however, Ping Pong offers similar effects without any of the added time commitment or stress of other mental training options.

Ping Pong is a great way to boost your concentration, reaction time and eye-hand coordination which can benefit you in various tasks at work, school or home.

The popularity of Ping Pong has increased greatly over the past few years so there are many opportunities around for all levels of play including leagues, clubs and tournaments. If you don’t have one already, creating a club with friends can be a great way to get together for some healthy competition!

Along with being tons of fun, Ping Pong offers tons of health benefits that are backed by scientific research; click here to read more about all the reasons why you should play today!

Can Ping Pong Help Me Get Fit?

Ping Pong isn’t only a fun game to play with your friends, it can also be an extremely healthy activity. Ping Pong helps to improve balance and speed, as well as coordination.

But the best part about Ping Pong? It requires minimal physical exertion—but getting up off the couch will help you burn calories! A quick half-hour of serious playing might burn more than 200 calories.

As a runner and a person who likes to stay active, I have always been intrigued by table tennis. My father was a champion in the sport back when he was younger, so my family has a couple of decent paddles and balls. While some friends of mine go out for drinks on Friday nights, my husband and I have been known to have an evening playing ping pong together instead.

When you think about it, ping pong is just like any other sport: lots of running around on your feet, swinging your arms to hit the ball, or getting into position on defense, etc., etc. But here’s what intrigues me more than that: while doing all this running around and hitting the ball with all this energy, you’ve also got to be really focused so that you’ll hit the ball back and forth accurately. You can’t think about anything else or let your mind wander off. Just like in yoga: clear your mind and focus on breathing, focus on where your feet are placed, and focus on moving yourself into another pose.

I love playing ping pong for this reason; it’s an exercise that definitely gets my heart pumping (and I definitely get a workout), but it’s not as boring as jogging on a treadmill at the gym because I don’t zone out. If I zone out, then Mr. Man has already won! So instead I concentrate hard and try to forget all about the running around and just focus on getting each shot as perfect as I can.

Ping Pong is admired for its focus on the present moment. This means that players are encouraged to concentrate solely on what’s happening during gameplay instead of focusing on anything else that might distract them from their goal of winning. This single-minded concentration can have positive effects outside of Ping Pong too — players develop heightened attention spans, making them better students and employees.

Related guide: Are Ping Pong Balls Flammable? | Chemistry Q & A

How Long Do I Need To Play Table Tennis For It To Help With My Fitness?

Ping Pong is a fun and relaxing way to get your daily exercise. In fact, scientists have found playing table tennis can burn up to 7 times more calories than previously thought. If you’re trying to lose weight or get healthier, playing ping pong on a daily basis is a great way to improve your fitness.

In the Journal of Sports Science, researchers from Southern Illinois University note that athletes who did just three 20-minute sessions of table tennis a week burned an average of 5 kilograms (11 pounds) more fat than those who played other sports. The reason for this is that table tennis involves almost every part of your body: forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, abs, and legs. You’ll be using more muscles than you would with most other sports.

Since your heart rate increases rapidly during a game of ping pong, this is also a great exercise for improving your cardiovascular health. It’s one of the few sports where you actually breathe harder when playing it because of the speed at which the ball travels. And since you need to be constantly changing position as well, table tennis is an even better way to improve your agility and flexibility too.

Firstly, if you are hoping to get fit through playing table tennis then you will be hoping that it can help with your aerobic fitness i.e. cardiovascular fitness, respiratory endurance and leg strength which is needed for running, jumping, and other fast or long-distance movements.

However, if after three months you have seen no difference then it might be worth looking into other factors. Just because table tennis doesn’t help with your fitness levels, it doesn’t mean that it should be discounted as an activity to keep fit!

So whether you’re looking to lose weight or simply want some regular daily exercise, make sure you find time for a quick game of ping pong every day!

What Benefits Does Table Tennis Have On My Overall Fitness Levels?

Here is a list of some of the benefits:

Conclusion:

Ping Pong is a fun way to get exercise, but it may not be the best workout. It’s important that you are mindful of your body and how much energy you have before deciding if this game will give you the workout that you need. If ping pong sounds like an awesome idea for getting in shape, use these simple tips to make sure your muscles are working hard enough!