Parkinson (also known as Parkinson’s Disease or PD) is a neurodegenerative condition with the fastest growing prevalence in the world today. The condition is multi-systemic, affecting movement, thinking, sleep, mood, digestion, sensory abilities (e.g. taste, smell, temperature tolerance), identity and outlook on the future. Over 150,000 Australians have Parkinson, over 13,400 of these of working age. An Australian is newly diagnosed with PD at a rate of approximately every 27 minutes. In 2024, the cost to the Australian economy was estimated at over $AUD10 billion per annum.
Exercise in general is important for people with Parkinson. Scientists attribute the benefits to a combination of increasing mitochondrial respiration, antioxidant protection, stimulation of neuroplasticity and neurotrophic factors that may be protective of dopamine-producing neurons, and improvements in strength, balance and gait (Goodwin et al, 2008). But evidence suggests that table tennis, unlike many other forms of exercise, involves “whole-brain activity” – i.e. not just motor activity, but also complex motor planning, challenges to core, posture and coordination through unbalanced, unilateral motion, focused and sustained attention, visuo-spatial processing and executive functioning. You might say it is like playing chess whilst running one hundred metres!
Dr. Elana Clar, a neurologist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, and co-coordinator and advisory board member of the New Jersey chapter of PingPongParkinson®, has reported the following: “Ping-pong has clearly been shown to have a positive impact on the progression of the disease and in a way that the medication alone is not doing. While all forms of exercise are beneficial, the thing that makes ping-pong unique is that it incorporates a focus on balance, hand-eye coordination, and the rhythm or pace of reciprocal play. So it really hits the trifecta of physical, cognitive and social activities.”
As Nenad Bach explained at TEDxZagreb in 2024, PingPongParkinson® offers an uncommon solution to a Parkinson diagnosis – one which overcomes fear of the condition, slows its progress and even reverses symptoms, and brings greater quality of life. PingPongParkinson® participants around the world report physical, mental and emotional benefits, which can be profoundly transformative. These impacts have been shared by PingPongParkinson® participants in Queensland. In addition to table tennis games, both singles and doubles, our sessions usually include socialising, science updates, coaching, Parkinson-specific warm-up and cool-down, juggling, vocal and facial exercises or other fun and challenging games.
PPP is understood by participants as much more than a global sports movement. Nenad and the PingPongParkinson® Australia coordinator, Helen Halford, describe PPP in the following ways:
“It’s a family that you never had before your diagnosis. It’s a feeling of contentment, of acknowledgement. We look at each other not in simple terms that we lack dopamine, which is the first thing that some people mention when they talk about what it means to have Parkinson. We are looking at each other in a much more expansive way.” – Nenad Bach
“At PingPongParkinson®, people see who you are – not only with an understanding of the day-to-day challenges that your diagnosis presents, but also beyond the diagnosis to the potential that you have. We hope that people will feel inspired, more understanding, empathic and motivated. Who knows where these immeasurable human experiences will lead, but we think that probably they will lead to a more peaceful, connected society where there is an attitude that an incurable disease or disability is not a hopeless situation.” – Helen Halford
You can also find more detailed information about the benefits of table tennis in these research studies:
Highlights: This study reports the impact of table tennis exercises on Parkinson, suggesting that table tennis exercise may improve motor symptoms and ADL of patients with PD.
Highlights: This study demonstrates that table tennis training is safe and feasible, and may have the potential to improve balance control, mental well-being, and self-reported physical activity level.
Highlights: Maintaining high quality of life is crucial for the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson’s disease.