Sporting events are often loud, intense and fast-paced, with the underlying energy of competition. However, sports also has another side to it.
Barbara DeGregorio started attending Fremont’s Parkinson’s support group after her husband got diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a “progressive brain disorder that damages dopamine-producing receptors.” Symptoms range from physical to mental, including tremors, slow movement and body stiffness, to anxiety, sleep disorders and depression.
The support group activities consist of not only discussions about the disease but also speaker sessions with doctors and specialists and even once-a-month breakfasts. After the support group leader retired, DeGregorio stepped up to fill the role. After her husband passed away in 2021, DeGregio continued to lead the support group and volunteer her time to help those affected by Parkinson’s disease.
One morning, DeGregorio saw a story on the news about ping pong’s many benefits to those who live with Parkinson’s. “That really sparked my interest, because I was already the support group leader and was always looking for things relating to Parkinson’s,” said DeGregorio. “I thought, well, we should try it in our area.”
When brainstorming where a ping pong program could be held, the Fremont Age Well Center came to her mind quickly. “I approached the [Age Well Center in South Fremont] and asked [if they would] be interested in hosting a Parkinson’s ping pong session, and they were very supportive,” she said.
The ping pong sessions are held once a week, the most frequent activity that support group hosts, on Wednesdays from 1 to 3pm at the South Fremont Age Well Center.
Playing ping pong has helped the members of the support group in multiple ways. The accessibility of ping pong makes it easy for members who are not as mobile to be able to stand in one spot and still have the chance to hit the ball.
“[Physically] it’s really good for agility and visual acuity, and for maintaining arm and leg strength,” said DeGregorio. She also explained how the visual and auditory focus it takes to connect the sound cue and maintaining eye contact with the ball helps the players concentrate on movement that isn’t connected to the tremors that they experience.
The players also have extra support at the ping pong sessions. “We have fantastic volunteers,” said DeGregorio. The wife of a support group member plays ping pong and was able to recruit some volunteers to help with the sessions to make playing time even more accessible and seamless. “She’s gotten some of the players to come and help us pick up the balls so people don’t have to bend over and risk falling.They can just feed people the balls.”
Although movement is the main focus, another benefit of the sessions is connecting with people who can all relate to each other and connect through the same challenges.
“It’s a very fun way to get some socialization, which is also really important for people with Parkinson’s,” said DeGregorio. “Often as the disease progresses people get kind of isolated. So this is another way for them to socialize and it’s really good for their cognition.”
The ping pong sessions at the South Fremont Age Well Center are open and free to all. With a consistent group of volunteers DeGregorio welcomes anyone who is interested.
“The one thing they know that helps people with Parkinson’s is to keep moving and to keep social contacts and ping pong does both for people, and it’s a fun way to do it.”
