The most suitable exercise for the elderly: the benefits of playing table tennis for the elderly

 　　Table tennis is a good sport that can exercise It is a very good exercise for the body, relieving joint pain and exercising sensitivity. Table tennis is a very suitable elderly sports, so the elderly should learn to play table tennis.

　　1. Table tennis is one of the most suitable sports for the elderly

　　“In fact, table tennis is one of the most suitable sports for the elderly. ”First Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Professor Zhuang Lixing explained that although table tennis is small and light, it is not easy to play at all. The power required in table tennis is explosive power, that is, the power of rapid movement. When playing ball, you must not only rely on the strength of your arms, but also the whole-body cooperation of your waist and legs. Your arms must constantly swing to hit the ball, and constantly move quickly with the changes in the landing point of the opponent's ball. According to statistics, in a fierce table tennis match, players swing their rackets more than a thousand times and move their feet about 1,000 to 3,000 meters.

　　“Such a large amount of exercise, if persisted for a long time, can effectively consume the fat accumulated in the body, reduce weight, and ultimately achieve the purpose of lowering blood lipids, blood pressure, and blood sugar. ”Zhuang Lixing also emphasized that table tennis has a certain degree of competitiveness and interest. It is not as boring as running and other sports, and it is not easy to persist for a long time and give up halfway. More importantly, it is not subject to age restrictions like other ball games, so older people may wish to try it more.

　　2. Playing table tennis regularly will have at least five benefits:”

　　“Zhuang Zedong, a famous table tennis player in my country, summarizes the benefits of playing table tennis into at least "five benefits": nourishing the mind, protecting the eyes, strengthening the brain, aiding digestion, and working the limbs. I very much agree with this statement. ”Zhuang Lixing interprets these "five benefits" as follows:

　　Benefit 1: Refresh your mind

　　Table tennis is a fun sport that can arouse people's emotions. Sometimes when you encounter something annoying, you will sweat profusely after playing table tennis for a while. That unique comfort can refresh your spirit. In addition, it is also a pleasure to "make friends with the ball". Comparing with golfers on the court and talking to them off the court can make people feel comfortable and refreshed.

　　Benefit 2: Eye protection

　　When playing table tennis, due to the rapid speed of the ball, the landing point of the ball may be near or far, left or right, or rotate or not. In order to make an accurate judgment, it is often necessary to use Eye To obtain information about the ball, the eyeballs are always in high-speed movement and make rapid feedback connections with the brain. This unique sports program that regulates eyes and vision can effectively improve the function of the ciliary muscles of the eyes for primary and secondary school students who are overburdened with academic work and read at close range for a long time, and has a positive effect on protecting vision and preventing myopia.

　　Benefit Three: Brain Strengthening

　　Among all ball sports, table tennis is the fastest. Because the ball is small and light, and can switch between offense and defense quickly, it requires athletes to mobilize their sense organs such as vision and hearing in the shortest possible time to make accurate judgments and reactions to the changing incoming balls. This characteristic of requiring frequent brain use can well exercise the reaction ability of the elderly and the sensitivity of the human brain to surrounding things. Therefore, playing table tennis can prevent dementia in the elderly, delay cerebral arteriosclerosis in the elderly, and maintain good thinking and memory.

　　Benefit 4: Helps digestion

　　Since playing table tennis consumes a lot of energy, it can increase your appetite. In addition, the constant back and forth movement of the body can also promote gastrointestinal peristalsis.

　　Benefit 5: Work hard on your limbs

　　Table tennis requires not only quick eyes and fast hands, but also rapid movement of feet to coordinate. Long-term exercise can make the joints of the upper and lower limbs more flexible, and the muscles of the waist and back stronger. The whole body function is fully mobilized, the coordination and flexibility are improved, and the body is more energetic.

　　3. When playing golf, you must play within your ability and do not injure your body.

　　Mentality: Exercise is the purpose, don’t be too competitive

　　Zhuang Lixing reminded that professional table tennis athletes compete to win medals, but for amateurs, especially the elderly, playing table tennis is mainly to exercise and promote health. healthy . Therefore, you should practice and play with a peaceful mind and don’t care too much about winning or losing. ； We should pay attention to the game skills and find fun in the back and forth of the ball. ； We should focus on the process and ignore the results, so that we can be calm about winning and calm about losing.

　　Style of play: The elderly and infirm should smash less and defend more.

　　In terms of playing style, if you are young, strong, and full of physical strength, and for the purpose of exercising strength and perseverance, you can choose an offensive style of playing with more running, multiple smashes, or looping shots. However, the elderly or those with weaker physiques should focus more on improving their physical fitness, and can choose a defensive style of play with less movement and less smashes. If you have chronic gastrointestinal diseases, often suffer from stomach discomfort or rotten stools, and are prone to diarrhea, it is recommended to practice the loop ball method, because when playing the ball, the racket is moved from back to bottom and forward to upward, the upper limbs and the thorax are lifted upward, and the whole body, including internal organs, is also lifted with the movement. It is especially suitable for people with gastroptosis, chronic colitis and other diseases.

　　Injury prevention: fully move your limbs before starting a fight

　　Table tennis, like other sports, is a double-edged sword. Good control and practice are good for your health, but conversely, it can also affect or even damage the body. Therefore, you must seek advantages and avoid disadvantages during practice to minimize the degree of damage. For example, the playing surface should not be too slippery. It is best to prepare a pair of professional sneakers to prevent slipping. In addition, you should not wear too little at the beginning when playing in winter. When playing in an air-conditioned venue in summer, the air conditioner should not be turned on too low.

　　In this case, you should stop playing and let the muscles return to normal. The preventive method is to fully move your limbs before playing ball. Lumbar disc herniation is also a common and serious trauma, many of which are caused by insufficient physical coordination and stiffness. Once a lumbar disc herniation occurs, you must stop training and playing football and go to the hospital for prompt treatment.

　　If the elderly have symptoms such as high blood pressure, heart disease, etc., they should play ball gradually and not do too much strenuous exercise. If they feel uncomfortable, they should rest in time or go to the hospital for treatment.