Staying active with Parkinson’s through ping pong is a fun way to exercise and socialise with heaps of additional benefits.
Table tennis offers physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits that can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Why is table tennis good for people living with Parkinson’s?
Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a racquet sport played by millions worldwide. Table tennis is more than just a fun game, it’s a great way to support both physical and mental health. It combines movement, coordination, and thinking skills, making it especially helpful for people living with Parkinson’s. A recent review found that playing table tennis can improve balance, body strength, and coordination, while also lowering the risk of heart problems. It helps with movement and thinking skills like quick reactions, planning, and memory. Research shows that it can be beneficial for people with Parkinson’s, dementia, or mild memory loss. Table tennis also boosts mental wellbeing by reducing stress and helping people feel more connected and confident through social play and enjoyment (Marta et al. 2025).
It is also likely to be beneficial for the same reasons as other forms of exercise, which includes the:
- effects of increasing mitochondrial respiration
- antioxidant protection
- stimulation of neuroplasticity and neurotrophic factors that may be protective of dopamine-producing neurons
- improvements in strength, balance and gait (Goodwin et al, 2008).
A 6-month prospective study on table tennis for people with Parkinson’s (Inoue et al, 2021) also found improvement in activities of daily living and motor symptoms after 3 and 6 months of participation in a 6-hour exercise session weekly. Anecdotally, table tennis players with Parkinson’s feel physical, mental and emotional benefits, as reported by PingPongParkinson participants in Queensland and many others around the world.
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.
What is PingPongParkinson?
PingPongParkinson® (PPP) is a movement that has reached 36 countries, established in 2017 by Croatian-American musician Nenad Bach. After a 35-year music career, including performances with Pavarotti and Bono, two Number 1 albums and a million records sold, Nenad faced potentially career-ending impacts of Parkinson symptoms. However, he discovered that after playing ping pong regularly for a few months, his guitar-playing abilities returned and evaluation by his neurologist confirmed signs of clinical improvement. Nenad describes his story powerfully in his TEDx Talk in 2024. PingPongParkinson leverages the unique benefits of table tennis and the power of community to slow the progression of PD, overcome fear of the condition and improve quality of life. Apart from supporting table tennis chapters, PingPongParkinson also engages in advocacy, research, education and sports partnerships. PingPongParkinson Australia and Table Tennis Australia work together to increase the accessibility and effectiveness of table tennis for as many people with Parkinson as possible.
PPP is understood by participants as much more than an organisation. 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
Where can I take a class?
In Australia
There are 15 chapters in Australia, to find a chapter go to: www.pingpongparkinson.com.au
n.b. Parkinson’s Australia does not endorse any classes or providers and you should always seek medical advice before starting a new exercise program.
Infosheet written by PingPongParkinson
To find out more about PingPongParkinson®, now in 36 countries visit www.pingpongparkinson.org or see the Australian site on www.pingpongparkinson.com.au for local chapters.
More at these links:
ESPN Outside the Lines Nenad Bach and PingPongParkinson
Why doctors say ping-pong could help manage Parkinson’s disease symptoms
References:
Goodwin, V. A., Richards, S. H., Taylor, R. S., & Campbell, J. L. (2008). The effectiveness of exercise interventions for patients with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Movement Disorders, 23(2), 226–233.
Inoue, K., Fujioka, S., Nagaki, K., Suenaga, M., Kimura, K., Yonekura, Y., Yamaguchi, Y., Kitano, K., Imamura, R., Uehara, Y., Kikuchi, H., Matsunaga, Y., & Tsuboi, Y. (2021). Table tennis for patients with Parkinson’s disease: A single-center, prospective pilot study. Clinical Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 4, 100086.
Inoue, K., Fujioka, S., Nagaki, K., Suenaga, M., Kimura, K., Yonekura, Y., Yamaguchi, Y., Kitano, K., Imamura, R., Uehara, Y., Kikuchi, H., Matsunaga, Y., & Tsuboi, Y. (2020). Table tennis for patients with Parkinson’s disease: A single-center, prospective pilot study. Clinical parkinsonism & related disorders, 4, 100086.
Marta, Patrycja & Ossolińska, Agata & Huzarski, Filip & Ferfecka, Gabriela & Pawełek, Klaudia & Stolarska, Lucyna & Rosa-Bończak, Magdalena & Morawiecka, Natalia & Carlton, Olivier & Kłosowicz, Weronika. (2025). Can Table Tennis Extend Lifespan? An Analysis of Its Impact on Physical Health, Brain Function, and Mental Well-being. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 78. 57427. 10.12775/JEHS.2025.78.57427.
Olsson, K., Franzén, E., & Johansson, A. (2020). A Pilot Study of the Feasibility and Effects of Table Tennis Training in Parkinson Disease. Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation, 2(3), 100064.
Taylor, James (April 2025). Ping pong offers symptom relief to Parkinson’s disease patients. ABC Wide Bay.
Yamasaki, T. (2022). Benefits of Table Tennis for Brain Health Maintenance and Prevention of Dementia. Encyclopedia, 2(3), 1577-1589. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2030107
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