'Playing table tennis has helped my Parkinson's'

People living with Parkinson's Disease in East Sussex have described the benefits of playing table tennis at special weekly sessions.

Carol Gill was diagnosed with Parkinson's 11 years ago said playing the game was challenging, but helped improve movement, mood and confidence.

"The game is so fast, so for people with Parkinson's that's a really exceptional thing to try," she said.

The Brighton Table Tennis Club hosts weekly sessions for people with Parkinson's, dementia and other neurological conditions.

The club's head of community outreach, Nick Kreel, said: "I firmly believe that this as a sport, because of the quick decision making you have to make with your brain, it massively has benefits in terms of slowing down the condition."

Parkinson's is a progressive disorder affecting the brain, nervous system, and muscle control.

It is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and about 153,000 people in the UK live with the condition.

Gill, a former student administrator, has played county level badminton, but said table tennis was perfect for someone with the disease.

She said it benefits people "because of all the technical things, the spin and the backspin and side spin".

Gill added: "The game is so fast that you have to react so quickly, and score and move, and think about your tactics at the same time."

Tracy Steele was a maths teacher before retiring. He described the sessions as "fantastic".

"You come along in the morning and your trouble seems to disappear when you play," he said.

Steele, who described the group at the sessions as "a great bunch of people", said the sport helps both socially and physically.

"Physically it gives a hand-eye coordination and there's always someone better than you so you can always play someone better," he said.

"And as far as your wellbeing is concerned, you just have to be here. It's magnetic. It's really, really good for you."

Last year Table Tennis England and Parkinson's UK today announced a partnership to create more opportunities for people with the disease to play the sport.

Both organisations believe exercise is "the best and possibly only way of slowing down the symptoms of Parkinson's.

Table tennis is thought to be particularly effective because of its focus on balance, hand-eye co-ordination, reflexes and making split-second decisions and movements.

Kreel said "I've seen people here with really chronic neurological conditions making incredible progress, and they keep coming back. That's so gratifying."

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