What an amazing experience! A weekend of discovery for both participants and trainers alike.
The TT for PD Project
Project: “Table Tennis for Persons with Parkinson’s Disease” under the SIS 2024 scheme managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.
The aims of this project are twofold:
- to encourage people with PD to take up table tennis as part of their routine, and
- to equip the coaching staff at ALPHA TTK with the necessary knowledge to provide this service for people with PD.
Workshop: 24th & 25th February 2024
The project launch consisted of a workshop held over 2 days. Gregory Komac from Slovenia was the key expert at this workshop. Coach Grega is very active in Slovenia in studying the effects of Table Tennis with persons with PD. He is currently documenting his findings in a book that is soon to be published.
Day 1 of the workshop started off with welcoming the new persons with PD to the club. A total of 13 persons have shown interest in the project. From these, 12 actually attended for the workshop. An amazing turnout!!
Greg explained the background principles of table tennis and their link to Parkinson’s Disease therapy. His enthusiasm engaged all those present and the group moved on to starting the actual training session. Some of the participants have already played table tennis before. Others have not. However, this did not present a problem since the coaches in attendance were available to assist all.
Day 2 of the workshop focused on strength and stability work. This is a very important aspect for persons with PD to allow for improved movements during their daily activities. Table tennis practice then continued at the tables with varied exercises and fun games.
A team of 5 Alpha TTK coaches completed the workshop and were awarded certificates of participation.
This team will now be leading training sessions for persons with PD on a regular basis at the club. For this purpose, the team is in constant contact with Coach Greg for his guidance and advice.
Next steps following the workshop
Thanks to the valuable and constructive workshop and thanks to Grega for his support we are now opening regular training for persons with PD. Any interested persons are to contact us for more information.
Project Background
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological condition that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Numerous studies show that movement, especially exercises that encourage balance and reciprocal patterns (i.e. movements that require coordination of two parts of the body), can actually slow the progression of the disease. Table Tennis, apart from being a cardio activity, requires hand-to-eye coordination, movement of the lower and upper body in unison, and increases strength and balance functions. Recent studies have shown that table tennis, practiced regularly, gives drastic improvements in speech, handwriting, getting dressed, getting out of bed and walking, for people suffering from PD. (Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34316664/)
Apart from positive physiological benefits stated above, as well as the positive impact on a persons’ overall health and well-being, engaging in an active sport also has considerable social benefits.
The workshop forms part of the “Table Tennis for Persons with Parkinson’s Disease” project. This project has been funded by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme (SIS) managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) supported by the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector (MIV). This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the MCVS cannot be held responsible for the content or any use which may be made of the information contained therein.