Racquet sports like pickleball, tennis, and badminton have been gaining popularity across the world for being an entertaining pastime. Now, it looks like they might also contribute to one’s lifespan since celebrity psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen once made some keen observations on the link between the two.
One of the integral parts of the brain, the cerebellum, holds about 10% of the organ’s volume. However, because of its positioning and ability to hold more than half of the brain’s neurons, it is a critical part that handles balance and coordination of the individual.
In a conversation with author Shawn Stevenson, Dr. Amen highlighted the role of racquet sports in stimulating the cerebellum. In a game of table tennis or badminton, one needs to quickly process information, strategize, and act, all within seconds. The brain is not only charged up but also actively working on all these processes to make the next hit a success.
Apart from this, racquet sports also involve the use of reflexes that increase one’s aerobic activity. The whole process of looking at the target, locating it in space, strategizing the next move, and hitting it exactly where one would want, involves working the cerebellum, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe.
“It’s not beer pong, and it’s not just you know hitting the ball back and forth. It’s like thinking about it. So I teach my patients go get a coach, get good. This will help rehabilitate your brain.”
Dr. Amen particularly prefers table tennis over other racquet sports since it involves a lot of thinking and the potential for a good spin. Stevenson immediately admitted to considering getting a ping pong table, and Dr. Amen’s words were the validation he needed to make the purchase.
“It’s kind of like you said something about being related to chess…aerobic chess! Yeah, you said that, I was like oh that’s amazing!”
Eventually, a stimulated brain leads to protection against developmental disorders and brain diseases. One of the key factors of longevity in humans is the safekeeping of the brain, and racquet sports have passed that purpose with flying colors.
While all of these points established how racquet sports are good for the brain, Dr. Amen mentioned a separate group of sports that were detrimental to cognitive development. Avoiding them would be in the best interest of the organ’s development.
Dr. Daniel Amen revealed ‘the worst sport’ for the human brain
Not all kinds of physical activity could positively contribute to the development of the brain since some of them come with certain risks. In the same podcast, Dr. Amen admitted to Stevenson how sports like boxing could harm the organ and a person’s longevity in more ways than one.
The human brain lies suspended in the cerebrospinal fluid that flows down to the spine and protects the organ from injuries. However, in sports like boxing, athletes often carry the risk of sustaining hits in the head. The trauma is enough for the fluid to cause the brain to shake despite helmets and other protective gear. This phenomenon could lead to some serious long-term injuries.
