Marty Supreme: How Table Tennis Can Support Healthy Ageing

Ping-pong flick Marty Supreme has already won its star, Timothée Chalamet, a couple of awards: he’s bagged both Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice awards so far. 

It’s highlighted the usually unglamorous world of table tennis, a sport that The Times said provided the “hottest table” around last summer.

Only time will tell if the movie’s popularity will lead to a rise in actual ping-pong participation, a la chess set sales after The Queen’s Gambit.

But if it did, some research suggests that could spell good news for older people. 

Table tennis can be a great way to stay agile, balanced, and social as you age 

Motor control – or the ability to complete precise, coordinated movements – tends to decline with age. 

Increasing motor control loss amongst over-65s has been linked to increased health risks and even a higher likelihood of early death.

But, a 2024 study found, table tennis may help with that. 

Researchers compared a group of older people who were used to playing table tennis with another group who were interested in aerobics, and yet another control group who did neither.

They found that the table tennis group seemed to benefit from better motor control than both the control group and those in the aerobics group. Table tennis appeared to “enhance the motor system regulated by neural networks... thereby affecting motor control in older adults”. 

Meanwhile, 2023 research found that two weeks of table tennis appeared to improve the balance and agility of older participants. 

And a 2025 paper found that the sport seemed beneficial to older people’s “physical, psychological, and social” well-being, perhaps offering benefits over less competitive sports.

Table tennis has advantages for other ages, too 

You don’t have to wait until you’re older to enjoy the benefits of table tennis. 

A 2025 study found that the sport carried social and physical benefits for a wide range of ages, without placing too much stress on people’s joints. 

“Expanding and strengthening programs that incorporate table tennis may contribute to enhancing individual well-being and encouraging healthy lifestyles across different populations,” the researchers added. 

Well, that’s me sold...