Losing Fats with Table Tennis

If you are a hyperactive person who is constantly on the move, then table tennis may just be the sport for you. The continuous rapid movement around the table as well as the swiftness of the ping pong ball is likely to kill the sloth of boredom and keep you on your toes. Besides just being a sport of fast reactions, table tennis does have its health and wellness benefits as well.

Here are 5 reasons why you should play table tennis:

1. Table tennis improves reflexes and hand-eye coordination
Also known as “ping pong” at some time or another, table tennis is considered to be one of the fastest racket sports in the world, with the ping pong ball reaching speeds of over 160km/hour. As such, individuals who play the sport can expect and experience improved reflexes and hand-eye coordination over time. Agility can also be improved as the game forces you to constantly change directions around the table so as to make contact with the rapid on-coming ball. I now find myself to be sharper than ever after playing table tennis casually for 8 months.

2. Table tennis strengthens muscles
Apart from improved arm muscles as a result of frequent and rapid moving of the arms, the constant twisting of the midsection is also expected to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Stronger leg muscles are also being built through numerous starts and stops, and lunges during game play. The frequent bending at the waist while playing works on the lower back muscles as well.

3. Table tennis reduces body weight
Playing table tennis is also a good form of weight loss activity. About 300 calories are burnt for an hour of table tennis game. That's equal to a 27-minute power walk on a treadmill or 32 minutes of light gymnastics.

4. Table tennis improves aerobic and anaerobic fitness
Table tennis works on aerobic fitness by burning one’s fats and improving on one’s cardiovascular system. The rapid range of movements and fast game play keeps one’s heart rate up. It also improves on anaerobic fitness by offering short, intense bursts of activity during a certain point in time followed by rest which helps muscles use oxygen efficiently.

5. Table tennis keeps you mentally sharp
As table tennis requires is a lot of planning, anticipating and strategising during game play, it makes a perfect mind game for the retirees as well.

Let’s not forget about our women paddlers who brought us glory during last year’s Olympics!