Movement and balance
Short, repeated exchanges train footwork, reach, grip, balance and weight transfer - the everyday motor skills that neurodegenerative diseases often erode.
Welcome to the SWAN Erasmus+ Sport Project
Every rally builds a new neural connection
SWAN brings therapeutic table tennis to people living with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's - and gives sports and health professionals across Europe the knowledge and resources to make an impact in their communities.
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, affect millions of Europeans. Physical exercise, such as table tennis, can reduce NDD risk and slow progression. The SWAN project aims to develop and evaluate a structured table tennis intervention for individuals with NDDs, promoting social inclusion, equal access to sports, and health-enhancing physical activity. It also seeks to educate stakeholders and create guidelines for integrating table tennis programs in various settings. The ultimate goal is to create an ecosystem to improve the well-being of individuals with NDDs across Europe, through physical activity in general and table tennis in particular.
A rally is a connection forming
34
Months
7
Partner organisations
70+
Trainers to be trained
50+
Individuals with NDDs
Why table tennis
One sport, three benefits at once.
A rally requires the body and the brain to cooperate in order to solve the same problem in the same half-second. That is what makes table tennis worth adapting for NDD care - and what SWAN sets out to structure, deliver and evaluate.
Cognitive functions
Reading spin, choosing a shot and adjusting mid-rally puts continuous demand on attention, working memory and reaction speed - cognition trained through play rather than through strict exercises.
Company and social belonging
Table tennis is played across a table, face to face. Sessions are social by design, which is what keeps people coming back and counters the isolation that so often follows a diagnosis.
Learn more about the SWAN Project
Where to go next
Get involved
Bring adapted table tennis to your club, clinic or care home
SWAN's curriculum, training course and guidebook are being built to be handed on. If you work with people living with Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, follow the project and reach out to us to explore collaboration opportunities.