by Michael Montalvo
Daily Lobo
According to a study, juggling stimulates brain growth.
A study conducted at the University of Regensburg in Germany a few years ago found gray matter in certain areas of the brain to be larger in jugglers.
Juggling requires the simultaneous use of both sides of the brain, UNM Juggling and Unicycling Club Vice President Mike Falkov said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"They found that the two areas of the brain that deal with visual-motor coordination increased in gray-matter density after training," Falkov said. "The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body and vice versa."
There are a lot of reasons to juggle, he said.
"I recommend juggling because it's fun - it grows new brain cells and can improve your hand-eye coordination," Falkov said. "The biggest reason I would recommend it to people is just to prove to themselves that they can do it, because they can."
Member Kannis Solberg said juggling relieves stress.
"I'm a biochemist, and sometimes when I'm doing lots of difficult scientific work, it's a really good way to activate the different parts of your brain," Solberg said. "I go and juggle for a bit, and that helps my brain relax, and it makes school easier."
Falkov said it didn't take him much time to learn to juggle.
"Anybody can do it," he said. "It can give you a constant sense of achievement."
Falkov said he has been juggling for five years and has put in serious practice time.
"I spend a lot of time doing it," he said. "In those five years, there were a lot of hours logged."
The club, created 20 years ago, has about 100 members, he said.
"We have a lot of members, but on average, 12 to 15 members attend the weekly meetings," Falkov said.
Because of the turnout, Falkov has plenty of time to train inductees.
"I'm confident that I could teach just about anyone to juggle," he said.
The club has plenty of equipment for students to practice with, he said.
"We not only have juggling balls, but juggling clubs and rings, as well," Falkov said. "We're going to be getting some jumping stilts that will allow you to run over 20 miles per hour on them and jump six feet straight up in the air."
Falkov said students interested in learning how to juggle should attend one of the club's meetings. You can e-mail questions to Jugclub@unm.edu.
The club meets Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m. in the SUB atrium.
