Table tennis
Ping pong played as a brain workout, part aerobic and part fast decision-making
Two paddles, a light ball, a table. Rallies ask for hand-eye coordination, footwork, spin reading and shot planning all at once and at speed. Japanese rehabilitation researchers found the game activates as many as five separate brain areas simultaneously, and a preliminary study in people with Parkinson's reported symptom improvement after six months of weekly play. Clubs, community centers and garage tables all count. A decent table runs a few hundred dollars, a paddle very little. Other racquet sports carry much of the same benefit with hardly any brain injury risk.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Daniel AmenDoes it
Psychiatrist · Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Lockdown meant a lot of ping pong with his teenage daughter, and he calls the game one of the world's best brain games. He pointed CNBC at a small study in which people with Parkinson's who played once a week for six months showed improvement in their symptoms.
Source: CNBC Make It: Ping pong, walks and mind exercises: Brain-boosting habits of a renowned brain doctor during self-quarantine
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus, fitness or longevity.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
On record from 43 of 62 tracked people: 37 do it, 4 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Protein-forward eating
Roughly 1g of protein per pound of target bodyweight, spread across meals
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 15 do it, 5 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
On record from 9 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Stability and mobility work
Daily joint, foot and breathing work to keep strength usable
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 7 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Daily stretching
Long, regular stretching sessions to undo years of tightness and keep training possible
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 1 has discussed it
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