Unfortunately our weekly sessions in South St. Paul have reached capacity for the facility. Join our waitlist.
Steve Hawkinson, President, PingPongParkinson® St Paul.
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s my life changed. I was told that there is no cure, put your efforts into learning about the disease, and work to manage the often painful, frustrating symptoms. Everything I read said exercise was the key. I started stretching, biking, and training with resistance bands and weight machines. My days were filled with exercise. One category of exercise was lacking; balance, agility, and movement. I tried yoga, but the positions were difficult and often painful for me. I tried boxing, but found it boring. Then, in October of 2023, I read about ping pong…table tennis, and learned it was a possible exercise I could use to fill this void. I searched for a place to play, discovered the Table Tennis Training Center in South St Paul, MN, and started to play. I began to believe in the ability of the brain to grow new neural pathways, called neuroplasticity, bypassing the damaged ones that Parkinson’s destroyed. I knew I was on to something.
I continued my research and found PingPongParkinson®. I decided to look into this program and I soon became interested in joining a class. I was disappointed to learn that there wasn’t a Minnesota group, but happy to learn they would support my efforts to bring a branch to the Twin Cities. So, I worked to put the program on the map. I was able to reserve the training center for two afternoons a week. Several volunteers help out and make the class better for everyone. We started our classes on April 4, 2024 and PingPongParkinson® St Paul now has an active roster of over 30 participants. Our members have a range of ping pong experience and as expected, a range of severity of Parkinson's symptoms. We work together and make it work! We are a support group without being a support group. We develop friendships, exercise, share our stories, and spread the word about the value of ping pong!