The problem:
There is a clear problem today in regards to the health of the nation. Statistics on Obesity conducted this year shows that obesity levels have doubled since 1993 from 13.2% of the adult population to 26% in the UK. Obesity in kids has also increased from age 4-5 going up 0.2% to 9.5% and age 10-11 increasing from 17.5% to 19.1%. At this rate we will have ¼ of children in the obese category before they reach secondary school and potentially 1/3 adults could be obese.
Table tennis tables proves otherwise:
Studies show that when schools and/or organisations incorporate table tennis tables obesity levels decrease, mental and physical health increases and so does productivity!
The Solution:
Combining table tennis with a healthy diet can get you super fit in terms of both physical and mental health along with having fun!
Table Tennis for Fat Loss
Losing weight isn’t as simple as playing a game of table tennis unfortunately. Your diet must be structured and calories consumed needs to be less than your caloric maintenance. In simple terms caloric maintenance means the amount of calories your body needs to function for the day. An example would be that your caloric maintenance is 2000 calories and you eat 2500 calories a day. This puts you in a surplus for the day meaning you will add fat. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat so being over your caloric maintenance without activity will mean you will add a pound of fat every 7 days.
You can enhance the rate of fat loss and muscle recovery by consuming whey protein powder or simply increasing your protein intake. Flexible dieting is something you should look into adopting.
Here’s the deal:
You need to be below 2000 calories to lose weight, this can be from eating less or eating 2000 calories or slightly more and then adding physical activity to burn calories thus meaning you will finish the day in a caloric deficit.
Going to the gym and/or jogging can get extremely boring. Not only has that but if offered nothing more than simply a calorie burn. Jogging on hard surfaces multiple times a week can also have long term negative effects on your knees. It doesn’t have to be this way!
It gets better:
Table tennis can be played by anyone. The game is super easy to play and get good at. It’s fun and has a load of health benefits you won’t believe. The deeper I dug the more health benefits I found, it’s crazy. Without further ado here is the list of the 29 health benefits of table tennis!
The 29 Health Benefits
1. Improves reflexes
2. Burns 400 calories per hour
3. Requires short bursts of energy, very similar to high intensity interval training
4. Improves balance
5. Improves cardiovascular health
6. Improves strategic thinking
7. Improves decision making skills
8. Releases endorphins
9. Develops friendships
10. Improves eye sight
11. Improves short range vision
12. Activates many areas of the brain simultaneously
13. Prescribed to elderly to help with Alzheimer’s disease
14. Improves productivity
15. Promotes social and recreational interaction
16. Improves flexibility
17. Extends life in elderly patients
18. Reduces stress
19. Extremely safe and long term
20. Strengthens the body’s core
21. Increases alertness
22. Strengthens muscles
23. Increases motivation (work, school etc.)
24. Increases blood flow
25. Improves joint health
26. Improves explosive strength
27. Improves grip strength
28. Increases your stamina levels
29. It’s fun and easy to play
I hope you found this list useful. As you can see, the benefits of table tennis are incredible. It’s been described as the best brain sport and quick moving chess. Playing table tennis for 30 minutes a day will vastly improve your physical and mental abilities. Make sure to give it a go. Many top CEOs are now recognising that table tennis can improve the productivity and the friendships within their work force, simple google search will show the drastic increase in companies utilising table tennis. Table tennis tables are also inexpensive and you can even purchase fold up ones to play against yourself. It may be the best investment you ever make, check out our huge range here.