Juggling is a special skill used for thousands of years by millions of people, in the circus, and for general use around the world.
Who would think that you would be able to use Juggling as a substitute for exercise, it is a great workout! Very beneficial for the body and the mind.
Here Is How Many Calories You Can Burn While Juggling:
If you start juggling you will burn 280 calories an hour, which nearly compares to brisk walking.
It is also dependent on your weight and also how many times you drop the balls on the ground throughout the hour. (the more you drop the ball on the ground the more calories you burn believe it or not).
Starting juggling today will help you lose weight and also help with other sports that are connected with juggling. Below are 5 different ways you can use juggling to use to excel at sport or fitness.

Juggling With & Soccer/Football How Does This Work?
If you are learning to play soccer, then Improving your skills and coordination is super important!
Getting the best out of the game is the only way to become number one, and practice makes perfect.
It is advisable to learn soccer combined with juggling which will assist in your motor coordination, body control, leg strength and timing with the ball.
Any professional soccer player learns this skill from a young age to improve and then become the top of their game.
Please Note: Juggling with soccer is using your legs instead of your arms with normal juggling.
Is juggling good for soccer?
Juggling whilst learning soccer is essential part of becoming a top player. It will teach you excellent habits which will improve your overall long-term development.
Below are different ways Juggling will make you a better overall player:
Improves Dribbling
If you use juggling as a warm up drill it is a excellent way to get better at Dribbling. As you are probably aware dribbling is all about ball control.
If you become really good at juggling automatically your dribbling will also improve by:
- Having more control over the angle of ball and hitting it on the right spot. This will then have a more accurate movement of the ball.
- Moving the ball with ease from one foot to the other.
- Having control of how high or low the ball lifts in the air, and then how much force it takes to hit it.
Improves Balance
All soccer players must have great balance in their game plan. This is to help you prepare for any sharp lunges (by other players towards you), also helping you push past your opponents on the field.
How do you improve at juggling in soccer?
If you are wanting to improve at juggling it is best to put some time aside every day (around 20 minutes practice time is best). You know what they say practice makes perfect!
When you first start out it is best to stand still (instead of moving around) while juggling. As you improve standing still then progress to moving about.
Also, as you improve you may use all parts of your body not just the feet while juggling, this includes head, shoulders and both feet (not just the one foot). Here is a good article on how juggling will improve ball control.
Is Juggling Good For Boxing?
Boxing is all about eye and hand coordination, so of course juggling is a good warm up exercise for the sport.
Famous boxers including Vasyl Lomachenko use juggling as part of his outside boxing routine.
The reason why this works for him is it helps with his movements inside the ring (being his speed and movement around the ring), and also making him one of the fastest moving punching swings out there.
Thinking outside of the box is what helps make you a champion, and most famous sportsmen look for non-boxing exercises that benefit parts of boxing
Is Juggling good for Muscle Building?
Do body builders use Juggling for training? Yes some actually do. It is quite a common practice for people who body build to tone and exercise their arms and body with juggling.
Does Juggling build muscle?
If you are wanting to build muscle, juggling will increase your muscle mass the first month of training.
After this time it will continue to use the muscles being- biceps, chest, core and anterior shoulders, but more for toning than actual muscle building.
As muscle building will need heavier weights to be used, the juggling balls are not heavy enough.
Does Juggling tone your arms?
Juggling tones your upper body, really focusing on the arms, shoulders and chest area. This is a workout you can complete on a daily basis for fitness, for toning and weight loss.
We recommend juggling at least 5 minutes a day, you will notice a massive difference after 4 weeks of completing juggling practice for toning of biceps and shoulders.
Will Juggling Help My Gymnastics?
One of the most difficult to perform gymnastics is called rhythmic. It is free standing (without any apparatus like a beam or bars).
Rhythmic gymnastics involves juggling with round balls (imagine soccer balls) and also includes clubs.
If you are learning gymnastics than rhythmic gym may be something you might want to add into your routine. You will increase in good balance, flexibility, and coorodination.
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Is Juggling Used In A Circus Routine?
Juggling has been used in the circus since ancient times.
If you are thinking of joining a circus you can see below the types of juggling used within a circus routine.
Flame Throwing: An advance form of juggling involving fire torches. (this is not for a beginner).
Balls: The normal juggling ball. (Great for beginner jugglers).
Beanbags: Very similar to the juggling ball but easier to catch. (also good for beginners).
Rings: Juggling Rings are made from either wood or plastic and are harder to juggle than balls, but easier to work with than clubs.
Clubs: A more advanced form of juggling. Clubs take significant practice to learn, as they need to be spun a certain way. (This is so you can catch them in the right spot).
Other forms of juggling that are used within the Circus that are prop based are:
- Diabolo (Ancient Yoyo that consists of two cups and a axle)
- Devil Sticks (manipulation of one stick between two other sticks)
- Cigar Box Manipulation (wood box manipulation and juggling).
- Hat Manipulation (Using hats for juggling tricks)
As you can see there are many forms of juggling to learn, and this is what being apart of a circus crew is about.