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