Health professionals say that playing ping pong is a great way to help those who are living with Parkinson’s disease.

A nonprofit organization named Ping Pong Parkinson held an event in New Jersey Thursday night for the first time at Wang Chen Table Tennis Club in Westwood.

Organizers say that the game helps people better manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. They say that ping pong helps engage a person’s motor and cognitive skills.

"Ultimately, this association was formed because we've come to find that playing ping pong is a fantastic way of working on hand-eye coordination, and exercising your cognitive skills,” says Dr. Elana Clar, with North Jersey Brain and Spine Center. "People have noticed reduction in their tremors, people have noticed improvements in their handwriting, and it overall just improves everybody's activities of daily living."

More information about the program can be found on the Ping Pong Parkinson website.