Ping Pong is The World's Best Brain Sport! Psychiatrist Claims
Health and Sports Blog, Kodoom.com
While table tennis or ping pong is now a favorite hobby among many Iranians, many may not realize the amazing benefits of the sport. Studies now indicate playing table tennis competitively not only keeps us fit but also can prevent brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia later in life.
Renowned brain specialist physician and psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel Amen, says that Table Tennis is "The World's Best Brain Sport!" because it is like aerobic chess:
"The game is great for hand-eye coordination and reflexes (cerebellum and parietal lobes). You have to focus (prefrontal cortex) so you can track the ball through space (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), figure out spins (parietal lobes and occipital lobes), and plan shots and strategies (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum). Then you have to follow through and execute those tactics successfully (prefrontal cortex and cerebellum). All the while, you have to stay calm so you don’t get too nervous on game point (basal ganglia). And you can’t dwell on that point you blew a few minutes ago (anterior cingulated gyrus) or blow your top when you make a mistake (temporal lobes). It is like aerobic chess."
"One of the things I love best about table tennis is that it involves very few brain injuries. In 1999, I played in the U.S. National Table Tennis Tournament with hundreds of other players, and there wasn't a single brain injury. A fascinating brain imaging study from Japan found that table tennis helps balance your brain. The researchers examined a group of people before and after playing table tennis for a period of ten minutes. Theafterimages revealed increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, the thoughtful part of your brain, and the cerebellum."
Table tennis is the second most popular organized sport in the world. What is even more impressive is that it is the youngest of the world’s major sports. At the competitive level, players hit the ball in excess of 90 miles per hour across the table!' Some of the top Iranian champions include: Fatemeh Jamalifar, Amin Ahmadian and Neda Shahsavari.
Ping Pong not only gets you off the couch and moving around with a low risk of injury, it also improves reflexes, hand-eye coordination and balance, while toning and strengthening your core muscles in the your upper and lower body. For your brain, you have to plan a strategy to stay a step ahead of your partner and react to their shots at the same time. You have to decide in a split second how to react and this increases your concentration, short term memory and decision making abilities. All this mental exercise boosts hormone levels and keeps the brain young, which can slow the progress of cognitive decline that occurs with aging. Ping pong is also an excellent way to build social bonds. It can be played in a friendly manner and competitively for anyone at any stage of life. It can help release stress and tension and can get you to spend more quality time together with friends and family.
Video: Amin Ahmadian of Iran at the 2019 World Junior Championships in Thailand
Ping Pong is inexpensive and versatile, with regulation size models being able to be folded up and stored away easily -- but who would want to? Even if you don't have a partner at the moment, most models fold up on one side so you can practice your spin shots by yourself.
Last year, Iranian brothers Nima and Noshad Alamian, stunned sports observers by winning the gold medal of men’s double at the 2020 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Spanish Open in Granada (link on Kodoom News robot).
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