Throughout the visit, the Chinese ping-pong team thrashed their American counterparts, but it was a breakthrough in Chinese-American relations. In fact, Time magazine called it “the ping heard round the world.”
Now the game is making a new ping—in the field of neuroscience.
According to Dr. Daniel Amen, author of Making a Good Brain Great, ping-pong (also known as table tennis) is great for the brain. It requires eye-hand coordination, and it stimulates high levels of brain activity. It is also known as a great rehabilitative activity for stroke, surgery and accident patients, as it reactivates the brain to muscle pathways.
Ping-pong is also a low-impact exercise that can give you a great aerobic workout, strengthen your cardiovascular system, increase muscular endurance and improve muscle tone.
In fact, studies show that just thinking about ping-pong is good for the brain. It’s called mental visualization, and the brain is just as active when imagining playing ping-pong as it is when you physically play ping-pong.
So if you want to exercise—and maybe even get into diplomatic relations—pick up a paddle. The benefits are far larger than the little ball you’ll be chasing.
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