Spaghetti-strap season is here.

Want to get rid of jiggling arms?

Start juggling, said Heather Wolfe of Gulf Breeze. The software developer moonlights as a juggling instructor.

“It’s great exercise,” said Wolfe, whose business is called Focus Pocus (www.FocusPocusJuggle.com). “It burns 272 calories – as many as an after-dinner walk. It improves hand-eye coordination, and it’s a great stress reliever. You can’t think of all the errands and problems when you’re really focused on the present.”

Think you’re not coordinated enough to learn?

Most people can learn how to juggle scarves in 15 minutes and balls in less than a week, if you practice 20 minutes a day, she said.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Start with a ball in your right hand, arms at your side and elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. Using a scooping underhand motion, throw the ball from one hand to the other at about eye level. The path of the ball should trace a figure-eight pattern. Repeat until throws are smooth.

Step 2: Hold one ball in each hand. Start by throwing the ball in your right hand to your left hand at about eye level. When that ball reaches its highest point, throw the ball from your left hand under the first ball and over to your right hand. The second throw should be at the same height as your fist throw. Repeat, this time starting with your left hand instead of your right. Both throws are exactly the same; they are just from different hands and occur one after the other. Practice until this is smooth.

Step 3: Hold two balls in your right hand and one ball in the left. Start by throwing the ball in the front of your right hand over to your left hand, using the same motion you practiced with one and two balls. When that ball reaches its highest point, throw the ball from your left hand under the first ball (just like in Step 2). When that ball peaks, throw the other ball from your right hand under the second ball and over to your left. Keep doing this so that every time a ball peaks, you throw a ball under it and over to your other hand.

Tips:
• If you’re left-handed, try starting with two balls in your left hand and one in your right. Reverse the directions for right and left hands in Step 3.
• Juggling three balls is essentially the same as juggling two, except it is continuous. Counting your throws or saying “right, left, right, left” as you juggle can help you remember to throw the next ball.
• Practicing over a couch or bed makes retrieving dropped balls easier, but you won’t burn as many calories, of course.
• If you find yourself moving forward as you juggle, you might want to practice while facing a wall. This prevents you from throwing the balls forward instead of across your body.
• Take your time, and remember to breathe.