Benefits on the brain from playing table tennis

Table tennis is one of the sports that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. The game is played by millions of people across the world from disabled people and folks in retirement homes to school students or business professionals.

Question is, what exactly happens when playing table tennis? Our current technology doesn’t allow us to scan the brain while playing but research shows there are a lot of benefits. Dr. Daniel Amen, for example, states that table tennis is one of the best activities you can do to give your brain a workout.

So what are some of these benefits?

1. Develops mental acuity
   Mental acuity is the measure of the sharpness levels of the human brain. Alzheimer’s weekly reports that table tennis improves the brain sharpness significantly. After a series of studies done in Japan, they discovered that a normal game increased the blood flow to the brain and reduced the risk of getting dementia. Dementia is a chronic disease that is characterized by memory problems, changes in personality and poor reasoning.

2. Improves your mood
   The very first thing that you notice when playing table tennis is that your mood improves. This is because it triggers the increase of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that enable the transmission of signals and messages across the brain. Increased neurotransmitters levels have been reported to reduce the rate of depression. Various brain functions are regulated by neurotransmitters such as movement, feelings, memory, and stress.

3. Boosts memory
   The activities involved in table tennis are reported to increase the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor which is shortly known as BDNF. This component is a protein that promotes the healthy growth of neurons, therefore assisting in preventing diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

The benefits of this underrated game can’t go unnoticed anymore and it is without a doubt the best game that can positively affect your physical and mental health while keeping you immensely entertained.

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