Table Tennis: Boosting Brain Power Through Play
In Table Tennis: Boosting Brain Power Through Play, host Harith Iskander shows how this fast-paced game gives your brain a major workout. From making quick decisions to coordinating hand movements, table tennis engages different parts of the brain, including the motor cortex, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. As players react to the ball, plan their moves, and remember their opponent’s patterns, the hippocampus — the memory center of the brain — gets stronger. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
Lesson Express
Q: What does your brain need to do to make a quick move or hit in table tennis?
A: The brain uses the motor cortex and cerebellum for movement, while the prefrontal cortex helps with planning moves.
Q: How might playing table tennis help you remember things better?
A: Table tennis stimulates the hippocampus, which helps with memory and even grows new brain cells.
Q: Why do you think playing active games like table tennis can be helpful for people of all ages?
A: Active games help keep the brain engaged and exercise important skills, like memory and quick thinking.