| There are many techniques you can use to | | | | |
| temporarily increase your brainpower. These | | | | Physical Exercises To Increase Brainpower |
| include problem solving techniques, exercises | | | | |
| in imagination, and stimulants like deep | | | | Physical exercise has been shown to improve |
| breathing or caffeine. Some argue that these | | | | brain function indirectly. This is easy to |
| don't actually increase IQ, but only | | | | understand. A better cardiovascular system |
| temporarily improve performance. But since | | | | means better blood flow, and it is blood that |
| you can choose to use them all the time, | | | | carries that much-needed oxygen to the brain. |
| including during IQ tests, the improvement | | | | Of course, this better oxygen supply to the |
| can be permanent. | | | | brain will persist only as long as you stay |
| | | | in shape. Are there physical exercises or |
| Of course, to do anything consistently and | | | | activities that will make more permanent |
| repeatedly over time is a difficult goal. | | | | changes in the brain? |
| What if you want to make real and permanent | | | | |
| improvements? Can you increase brainpower | | | | Yes. Activities which involve timing and |
| permanently, or at least as permanently as | | | | coordination cause dendrite growth in the |
| things can be for mortals? | | | | brain, resulting in more possible connections |
| | | | in your brain. Having more connections means |
| Yes, you can change the physical structure of | | | | learning and thinking can be more flexible |
| your brain, in order to improve its function. | | | | and efficient. Physical exercise, then, can |
| There are two basic ways to do it. The first | | | | increase brainpower - if it is the right |
| is to physically build and strengthen your | | | | type. |
| brain with mental exercises. The second is to | | | | |
| strengthen it by doing certain physical | | | | Athletic activities likely to help include |
| exercises. | | | | tennis, basketball, soccer, and tossing |
| | | | around a frisbee. Less athletic activities |
| Mental Exercises To Increase Brainpower | | | | that require a lot of coordination and timing |
| | | | will also accomplish the same thing. These |
| Mental exercises do not just create temporary | | | | include playing musical instruments, |
| changes in your thinking. Exercising the | | | | especially those that require precise timing, |
| brain has been shown in many studies to | | | | like piano playing. You can also try |
| actually generate new neuronal growth. It has | | | | activities which involve hand-eye |
| even been shown to halt the decline of mental | | | | coordination, like painting or drawing. |
| function that often comes with age. | | | | |
| | | | Meditation, which is part physical and part |
| What mental exercises should you do? Ideally | | | | mental activity, also changes the structure |
| ones that you enjoy, because you will get | | | | of the brain. Recent research shows that it |
| more involved and be more likely to keep | | | | increases the thickness of the cortex in |
| doing them. There have been many activities | | | | those areas that are involved in sensory |
| used to test neuronal growth that results | | | | processing and attention - the prefrontal |
| from exercising the brain. No specific ones | | | | cortex and the right anterior insula. Other |
| have been singled out as more effective yet, | | | | studies show that highly skilled musicians |
| so we are left using our common sense. | | | | and linguists also have thickening in the |
| | | | relevant areas of the cortex. |
| Watching TV, for example, is not mental | | | | |
| exercise, because it is too passive. Doing | | | | Bottom line? Areas of the brain that you |
| crossword puzzles certainly is good mental | | | | exercise grow bigger, from new neurons, and |
| exercise, as is playing word games, arguing | | | | from bigger blood vessels and supporting |
| philosophy, or doing mental math while | | | | structures like glia and astrocytes, and from |
| driving. Other possibilities include learning | | | | increased branching and connections. It is |
| and using memory techniques, habitually | | | | clear that you can increase your brainpower |
| redesigning things in your imagination, and | | | | by physically improving your brain. |
| inventing lyrics as you sing a song. | | | | |