Physical fitness in table tennis

Most of us are aware of the importance of physical fitness. Basically, we know that being fitter is better than being overweight. Therefore, we do our best to incorporate physical activity into our daily routine by taking up sports or leading a healthy, active life. Speaking of sports, table tennis is one of these activities where you need to be physically fit.

Basically, as your level of competence and skill in table tennis rises, your necessity of greater physical fitness becomes inevitable. Therefore, beginners in this sport will be less fit than advanced or intermediate players of table tennis.

Table Tennis and Physical Fitness – Beginners and Intermediate Players

Initially, all you need in order to play table tennis, apart from the necessary equipment, is the ability to stand and walk around for several hours without getting tired. Keep in mind that beginners make more mistakes during their table tennis matches, leading the game at a slower pace, decreasing the overall physical effect of it. So, there are less chances of injury during the beginner stage of your table tennis career. Also, your physical fitness progresses slower during this stage.

As you move on to the intermediate level, your body's demand for greater physical fitness becomes more and more prominent. You will need to develop endurance, technique and consistency before reaching this stage. So, once you are an intermediate player, you need to control and maintain these factors. This is, of course, more physically advanced and results in greater physical fitness and health benefits. Here, you learn how to hit the ball harder and faster, boosting your power and strength as well.

During this level, you can balance your lack of technique with abundance of fitness and strength and vice versa. However, you cannot advance to any higher level of fitness without having both of these qualities boosted and at your disposal.

Table Tennis and Physical Fitness – Advanced Players

Once you reach the advanced table tennis player stage, your fitness is the key to your performance. You will need all the aerobic fitness you can get since your matches may last for up to an hour of constant effort. Fortunately, there are exercises which can help you boost your performance and reach the level of physical fitness necessary for becoming advanced-level player of table tennis.

Exercises for Boosting Table Tennis Physical Fitness

You will be amazed by the positive effects of walking on your physical fitness. It is a low-impact activity which can be performed anywhere, anytime, helping you burn a small number of calories, improving your mood and overall health.

Alternatively, jogging can take the positive effects of walking to a whole different level. Thus, grab your music player, put the earphones on, go to a park nearby and enjoy this incredible aerobic activity.

Finally, if jogging is too hard on your joints, try something with less impact - like cycling, for example. If you do not like traffic, buy a stationary bike so that you can exercise at home. Either way, you will boost your physical fitness significantly and this will reflect on your table tennis performance.