Juggling is an activity that most of us associate with entertainment and circuses. But did you know that juggling can do wonders for your brain? It’s true! Juggling has been found to have numerous benefits for the mind, including improved coordination, focus, and memory. In this post, we’ll explore the science behind these benefits of juggling for the mind.

Can Juggling Improve Your Brain? The short answer is yes, juggling can help improve your brain along with many other benefits in your life.

In the rest of the article we’ll link up to studies to back up these claims if you wish to read them yourselves. If you just want to learn how to juggle you can watch my free video at How To Juggle 3 Balls.

Juggling Improves Coordination

If you’ve ever met a juggler, I’m willing to bet that they have pretty good hand-eye coordination and that probably extends to other areas of coordination within their life. I know that personally it has helped me with improving my coordination. Back in high school it helped me with overall coordination playing sports.

But why does it improve coordination?

Juggling requires the use of both hands, which helps to stimulate the connections between the two halves of the brain. Over time, this can lead to improved coordination and motor skills, both of which are essential for everyday life. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that juggling increased the size of certain brain regions involved in motor control and coordination.

“As in the previous study, subjects were scanned three times: before learning to juggle, after 3 months of juggling, and after 3 additional months without juggling. Although the older adults did not learn to juggle as well as younger adults, those that did learn showed similar increases in gray matter in the visual motion area MT/V5. Unlike young adults, older adults that learned to juggle had increased gray matter in hippocampus and nucleus accumbens compared to controls. As in young adults, these gray-matter changes were transient, returning to baseline after 3 months without practice. These results indicate that human brains retain some structural plasticity as they age.”

source: https://www.jneurosci.org/content/28/28/i

Juggling Enhances Focus and Concentration

When you’re juggling, you need to be fully present and focused on the task at hand. This helps to improve your overall ability to concentrate and stay focused, which can be beneficial in all areas of life. A study published in PLOS ONE found that juggling can help improve attention and working memory over time.

If you want to read that study, check it out here: Behavioral Impact of Unisensory and Multisensory Audio-Tactile Events: Pros and Cons for Interlimb Coordination in Juggling.

Juggling Can Improve Memory

Juggling involves learning a set sequence of movements, which can help to improve memory and recall. A study conducted by the University of Regensburg in Germany found that juggling led to an increase in grey matter in brain areas associated with processing and visualizing moving objects. However, it’s important to note that these changes were temporary and diminished once the participants stopped practicing juggling​​​​.

This tells me that it’s a good idea to never stop juggling.

Street performers, circus entertainers and clowns: they can all juggle. Neuroscientists are now getting into the juggling act. Brain researchers at the University of Regensburg (Germany) have found that learning to juggle can change brain structure.

The researchers divided 24 people into two groups:

 Juggling Group: 12 subjects learned a three-ball cascade juggling routine. They were considered to be skilled jugglers when they could juggle for 60 seconds.

 Non-Juggling Group: 12 subjects had no juggling practice.

Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the size of different areas within the brains of the subjects. Brain scans were taken before anyone practiced juggling, three months after the jugglers practiced and three months after the jugglers stopped practicing.

Juggling Juggles the Brain from https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/jugg.html

Juggling Can Be A Mood Booster

Juggling is a fun activity that can help to reduce stress and boost your mood. When you’re juggling, you’re engaging in a physical activity that requires your full attention, which can help to take your mind off of any worries or concerns you may have. Plus, the sheer joy of mastering a new juggling trick can be a real mood booster! However when you are learning new tricks or trying things like learning to juggle 5 balls, you might get a bit upset because learning new tricks and numbers juggling is challenging.

I remember struggling for weeks at a time when I was learning to juggle 5 balls and it wasn’t always a ‘mood booster’, but once I got it… it definitely boosted my mood.

Juggling is a Great Form of Exercise

In addition to its mental benefits, juggling is also a great form of exercise. Juggling burns calories, improves cardiovascular fitness, and helps to build strength and endurance. Plus, it’s an activity that can be done almost anywhere, making it a convenient and accessible form of exercise for people of all ages and fitness levels. You can even juggle while going out for a walk once you get the hang of it.

Conclusion:

Juggling is so much more than just a fun activity. It’s also a powerful tool for improving the mind and body. Whether you’re looking to boost your coordination, focus, memory, mood, or fitness, juggling is an activity that can help you achieve your goals. So why not give it a try? Who knows – you might just be surprised by the amazing benefits of juggling for the mind.