Learning To Juggle Boosts Brain Power (At Least Temporarily)
Created by Drew | : Boost Brain Power
Learning to juggle and the brain changes
Scientists have found that by learning to juggle you can produce significant, powerful changes within your brain. Scientists have studied the brains of many individuals who frequently practice juggling. The scientists compared the brains of habitual jugglers to individuals that don’t practice juggling. What the scientists discovered were significant changes in the size of the brains of the individuals that frequently juggled. All of the brains of individuals who practiced juggling were bigger than average.
Increased grey-matter
Compared to those who didn’t juggle, or weren’t able to juggle, individuals that juggled had significantly boosted the amount of grey matter in their brains’. The change in amount of grey matter was heavily noted in two key areas of the brain: the mid-temporal area and the left posterior intraparietal sulcus. Both of these brain areas are involved in the processing of visual and motor information.
How scientists determined the grey matter increase:
In order to study the brains of those who juggled, scientists used voxel-based morphometry: a technique that directly measures concentrations of brain tissue. This allowed them to determine to compare the grey matter of jugglers’ and non-jugglers’ brains.
Brain changes from juggling: healthy, but not permanent
Though juggling is an activity that promotes positive change and growth of the brain, it unfortunately is not known to have a permanent affect on boosting brain power. Scientists have discovered that stopping a juggling routine slowly reverts the boosted grey matter and brain functioning to the same size as it was previous to starting a juggling routine.
With that said, implementing juggling into your daily routine may prove to be a unique activity to experiment. Who knows, you may even consciously notice (or feel) brain changes as a result of juggling! I may give juggling a 30 day trial to see how I react and post my analysis and evaluation on 4 mind 4 life. It seems as though the brain areas that grow and are activated by juggling, will at least [temporarily] give you a cognitive boost. Why the brain changes completely back to normal after a juggling routine is stopped, scientists do not exactly know. Some scientists propose that the brain changes were due to: increased cell production and communication between cells.
Some more food for thought
What is very interesting is the fact that Dr. Vanessa Sluming, has studied the brains of musicians and found that at some point, they are able to retain more brain cells than those who aren’t musically inclined. She thought that the research involved with brain power and juggling was very interesting because it showed brain boosting improvements in not only children, but elderly adults!
Though juggling only produces a temporary increase in brain power, it would be interesting to know the point at which our brains retain the extra grey matter. This would allow scientists to make potentially many more breakthroughs in the area of cognition. Does this mean that you will never fully retain permanent side-effects from creating a certain change in your life? Well, as far as juggling research is concerned, yes. However, I’d be willing to bet that many other brain boosting activities can create permanent neural changes if practiced for an extended period of time.
Dr. Vanessa Sluming further went on to say: “It shows that what we do in everyday life might have an impact not just on how our brains function but on the structure at a macroscopic level.” I found this interesting and absolutely believe that this is true. The actions you take today shape your consciousness and brain for the future. Whether you create permanent changes in brain functioning, I don’t know. However, I think that the best time to start changing your brain is as soon as possible! Especially for children, their brains seem to have an ability to adapt and mold to however they react to their reality.
Final thoughts on juggling
If you already enjoy the act of juggling, keeping it at a daily routine or doing it every-other day may prove to yield brain boosting benefits. Realize that juggling is a “use it or lose it,” type of activity. The more you use juggling, the more you activate growth in the brain. When you stop juggling for awhile, your brain activity will shift back to normal – the way it was before you began juggling. Juggling and it’s effects on our brain is definitely a very interesting concept for scientists to study. I will be looking forward to reading more about this topic!
Related posts:
As a musician myself, I am more than encouraged by the bit about musicality. As for juggling, I’m definitely going to think about it and possibly put it into action. (I must say it qualifiedly because I’ve never juggled in my 73 year old life, and might have to find someone to teach me – personal learning being better than trying to learn it from the internet.)
Hey Arlene, juggling definitely wouldn’t hurt! It may be better having someone teach you in “real life.” If you cannot manage to find anyone to teach you, there are probably some great YouTube videos that may help you learn! Thanks for sharing your comments :)
Dear Drew
The report on scientific prove must be referring to a study from the University of Regensburg in Germany which is ca 4 years old. Referring to “scientific results” should give hints about where you found it…
because we know how people use “scientifically proven” for the last shit… and this is not… but the reference is clearly missing.
Anyway- the Regensburg study says that the ‘visual and motoric part’ of the brain corresponding with juggling was growing… and then shrinking again when not in use… but they didn’t find out about other “brainy points” you earn with that.
But once you learned how to juggle you will not unlearn it – like cykling. So the “use it or loose it” does not include the capacity for juggling in itself.
We teach Juggling here (not far from Regensburg but in the north of Germany) in our seminars about “Increase your Brain-power” to show how it works to learn something new – and have an active focus to relax between other seminar steps.
Greetings from Germany
Klaus
look at: BBC NEWS | Health | Juggling ‘can boost brain power’
– 22 Jan 2004 … Learning to juggle can change how your brain works, … Writing in Nature, the researchers from the University of Regensburg, Germany, …
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3417045.stm – 31k
Hi, I’m a professional juggler, at age 16, and I have to say, juggling does improve your motor skills, reflexes, and visual acuity. Or at least, I have quicker reflexes than most people… >.>
Juggling is a form of physical activity.
Creating is music is a form of creative activity.
Both are considered to improve our memory. When we those activities, we tend to become stress-free.