A table tennis center in Daelim-dong, Seoul, on the 6th of this month. A group of middle-aged women were competing against each other on the table tennis tables dotted around the spacious room. Aside from their skills, their serious expressions and concentration made me envy the national team. “The love and passion for table tennis among the athletes here is comparable to Shin Yoo-bin and Jeon Jeon-hee,” smiled Kim Se-yoon, secretary general of the Yeongdeungpo-gu Sports Club.
월카지노 This is a table tennis center operated by the Yeongdeungpo-gu Sports Club, a public sports club. The club, which successfully operates a variety of sports including soccer, futsal, basketball, inline rollers, and climbing, added table tennis last July when it was looking for a way to increase participation among older adults.
The move paid off. In just over a year, more than 140 local residents have signed up to play. About 60 of them regularly take lessons from professional instructors, and most of them are women in their 60s or older. “The oldest enrollee is an 82-year-old woman,” said Na Hyung-cheol, chairman of Yeongdeungpo-gu Sports Club. Younger members in their 20s and 30s also work out hard, but they can’t keep up with the ‘ping-pong ladies’ (a nickname for middle-aged and older female members) in terms of activeness and consistency.”
Table tennis centers run by public sports clubs are attractive for their low cost. The monthly membership fee is 50,000 won, but those over 60 get a 30% discount and can play for 35,000 won per month. Lessons (twice a week) cost up to 60,000 won. For less than 100,000 won per month, you can learn table tennis with the help of an expert.
“After being depressed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, I picked up a racket for the first time in 10 years and regained my physical and mental health,” said student Han Eun-hee (67). “It’s fun to be able to combine exercise and hobbies without spending a lot of money.” “As I get older, I prefer simple exercises that are easy and can be done alone, such as walking, but when I try it myself, I find that I am more efficient and more willing to participate with others.” “Table tennis is the most effective sport that requires a partner,” said Mr. Philanthropist (67), who exercises together.
Experts strongly recommend regular exercise for middle-aged and older adults, as it can significantly reduce societal costs such as hospital and nursing care. A study by the U.S. National Cancer Institute of more than 82,000 Britons aged 42 to 72 found that those who exercised consistently for at least 20 minutes a day were at least 4 percent less likely to be hospitalized due to poor health and up to 23 percent less likely to be hospitalized.
In addition, those who were physically active had a significantly lower risk of developing nine diseases: gallbladder disease, urinary tract infections, blood clots, stroke, diabetes complications, pneumonia, iron deficiency anemia, colon polyps, and diverticular disease (a bulging pouch in the body where a part of an organ becomes distended). “Exercise is the best way to prevent hospitalization,” said Dr. Eleanor Watts, a senior researcher at the National Cancer Institute. “It improves immunity, lung and heart function, and insulin sensitivity, as well as reducing inflammation, body fat, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.”
Jeon Jeong-bun, 64, started playing table tennis at a sports club last year after being introduced to the game by a friend, and within a month, she was told that her face had brightened up. “A small ball has changed my life. It’s full of energy.”
“Table tennis is a sport with a low risk of injury because there is no physical contact,” said Na. “I would recommend it to middle-aged and older women who are hesitant to exercise for fear of injury. It is also attractive because it has a low barrier to entry, as all you need is a racket and you can participate anytime, anywhere.”