How to Juggle -- A Video Guide on Motor Learning

But before the steps, let me share a key learning principle: **chunking**. In neuroscience, chunking means your brain condenses information into smaller units, making it easier and faster to recall.

At first, tossing even one ball can feel awkward because the movement is unfamiliar. Your eyes track the ball, your brain predicts where it’ll land, and your muscles move to catch it. Early on, this feels slow and uncoordinated. But with practice, your brain groups these actions into a single unit—suddenly, juggling feels effortless.

Here’s how we use chunking to learn juggling fast:

Step 1

Practice tossing one ball up and down. Keep it simple so you don’t overload your brain. Repeat until it feels natural.

Step 2

Hold two balls in one hand. Toss one up. As it comes down, toss the second ball and catch the first. You’ll drop balls at first—totally normal. Trust the process.

Step 3

Now toss the ball across to the opposite hand. It’ll feel awkward at first, but that’s just your brain adapting. Keep practicing.

And here’s the ultimate secret: practice briefly, but often.

Instead of long sessions, try 2–3 minutes here and there. For example, practice in the morning for a quick break, then again after lunch when you feel sluggish. These short bursts trick your brain into storing the skill in long-term memory.

We all know that cramming works for only a short period of time, after which you forget everything.

And that's because the brain uses short term memory by default for learning.

However, if you learn something, even for just a few minutes, but return to learning it again after some time in-between, the brain treats it like a skill that needs to be stored for the long term.

That's it for today!

Juggle to get some non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis! Burn calories, learn a new skill, impress your friend and most importantly, have fun!

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