10 Ways To Improve Your IQ

Let's get crackin'. Check these out and then test your newfound concentration and memory skills with the new Simon Swipe.

1. Express your creativity.

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Studying, performing, and producing art has been linked to strengthening certain parts of the brain associated with general intelligence. This link isn't art-form-specific, so feel free to do you, whether it's painting the next Starry Night or being in your school's next theatrical production.

2. Practice logic exercises.

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Logic exercises that test your problem-solving skills have been attributed to improving intelligence and keeping your brain in shape.

3. Get some darn sleep.

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Getting a good night's rest has been linked with increasing brain connectivity, which in turn can lead to increases in your IQ. So go on, take that nap! Live your life!

4. Get your body involved.

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There's evidence to support a link between fluid intelligence and nonacademic exercises. Research suggests that physical activity is beneficial for cognition and general brain health. Hormones produced when exercising can also help improve memory!

5. Learn to play an instrument.

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The evidence is clear: Playing an instrument not only increases verbal and nonverbal IQ scores, but it can also positively impact spelling, vocabulary, and reading abilities.

6. Play a video game every once in a while, sheesh!

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Strategic thinking, utilized in certain types of video games, has been shown to increase cognitive flexibility, "a person's ability to adapt and switch between tasks, and think about multiple ideas at a given time to solve problems."

7. Strengthen your automatic recall skills.

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Strengthening automatic recall (the ability to quickly recall facts, mostly mathematical) has been shown to increase crystalized intelligence. Practicing certain math exercises like multiplication times tables are a great way to improve automatic recall skills.

8. Improve those motor skills.

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In a 2010 study, results concluded that fine motor skills were a good predictor for cognitive ability and achievement depending upon the learning phase of the subject. Practice some of these activities to improve your fine motor skills.

9. Consume more amino acids.

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Amino acids make neurotransmission possible (they're literally the building blocks of the neurons in our brains). Consume a healthy amount to improve brain function. Nuts, fish, soy protein, and eggs are all great sources for your daily recommended AAs.

10. Grow old.

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As opposed to fluid intelligence, crystalized intelligence has been shown to improve naturally with age. Crystalized intelligence is experienced-based, so the more life experiences you have to draw from, the easier time you'll have problem solving.

Strengthen your memory.

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Evidence shows that improving your memory can help increase intelligence. Test your memory and concentration skills with the new Simon Swipe.