A new Europe-wide project has been launched to help people with Parkinson’s form new neural connections through table tennis. The ‘Spin for Well-being: Active lifestyles through therapeutic table tennis for individuals with Neurodegenerative diseases’ (SWAN) initiative is led by a consortium of organisations across seven EU countries.
Partners include the ITTF Foundation (Germany), the Hellenic Sports Club for Physically Disabled People (Greece) and the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).
The group will share knowledge and best practices in table tennis health programmes for people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
EU SWAN initiative to raise awareness and create curriculum
The 26-month project is part of Erasmus+ Sport, the EU programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. It is funded by the European Union, and additional project partners include KTG Research and Innovation (Cyprus), Alzheimer Leon (Spain), Fondation Compassion Alzheimer Bulgaria (Bulgaria) and the French Federation of Table Tennis (France).
Work will include research, raising awareness, and creating a table tennis curriculum for people with Parkinson’s, to improve their physical, cognitive and social wellbeing.
It aims to build a network of stakeholders who are interested in table tennis’ therapeutic aspects for neurodegenerative diseases care. It is also hoped to see similar programmes adopted in settings such as care homes and by sport organisations.
What are the benefits of table tennis for people with Parkinson’s?
Table tennis is believed to have many potential benefits for people with Parkinson’s, including:
- Improved motor coordination and balance
- Enhanced cognitive function and reaction time
- Positive effects on mood and motivation
- Reduction of Parkinson’s symptoms when practiced 3 times per week
- A dynamic, social and low-impact environment that motivates continuous engagement.
