Stress relief, improving emotional well-being and tackling social isolation – all great reasons to play table tennis on World Mental Health Day today!

Our sport is proven to improve mental health – not only is physical activity in general important in reducing anxiety and the risk of depression, but table tennis in particular is one of the most accessible and inclusive sports and a fun way to enjoy that physical activity.

Clubs, parlours and publicly accessible tables – indoors and outdoors – can accommodate people of all ages and abilities, and any background, so why not give it a go today? To find a table near you, click on the red button at the top of the page.

As the graphic below shows, more than 70 million workdays are lost every year because of mental or neurological disorders, which will affect one in four of us at some point in our lives.

Why not reach out to a friend or colleague and find somewhere to play table tennis together today – or any day?

Four-time table tennis Olympian Liam Pitchford and table tennis ace turned singing sensation Zak Abel are on the same page when it comes to mental health – check out our film below!

To find out more about World Mental Health Day, visit the Mental Health Foundation website.

The Sport in Mind activity map is a good place to find physical activity sessions – including table tennis sessions – to help promote good mental health. The video below gives a flavour of some of the work Sport in Mind does to promote mental health through sport.

For any other questions you have about mental health, please see the following useful links.