 Intelligence quotient is a measurement of your intelligence, reasoning ability, and potential. It is a type of standard score that indicates how far above or how far below is how a peer group and individual stands in mental ability. The good news is that IQ isn't a permanent figure one gets from birth. No, it is controlled by a lot of factors, including genetic and environmental conditions. For instance, a person's IQ can be influenced by parental IQ, genes, home life, parenting style, nutrition, and education. Anyway, as a result of this, a person can decide whether they want to improve their IQ or not. So I guess that you want to improve yours, that's why you are watching this video. So in this video, I'll share with you 7 smart ways to increase your IQ. If you are new here, consider subscribing so that you don't miss out on exciting videos like this. 1. Start with simple workouts. You know, 30 minutes of exercising daily cannot harm. When we exercise, our oxygen intake increases. Specific hormones get released, neurotransmitter changes, and a couple of other things taking place. In conjunction with improved nutrition, influence our brain on the molecular level and this makes us smarter. According to research in a 2014 issue of comprehensive physiology, physical exercise improves cognitive health and even enhances the functioning of brain regions responsible for controlling your cognitive processes. Exercise is believed to modulate metabolic mechanisms that support brain functioning. Also, as a result of the mood-boosting hormones released during exercise, it can reduce feelings of depression and stress, which can take their toll on the brain if prolonged. So start exercising today if your goal is to improve your IQ. 2. Replace machines with the mind. Thanks to our easy access to all sorts of devices, types of machinery, our reliance on them has increased more than ever. For instance, when was the last time you calculated 400 plus 500 minus 300 times 3 without the use of a calculator? Doing simpler arithmetic like this without the aid of your calculator can help improve your logical abilities and improve IQ. Even better, try to get these calculations done right in your mind without the aid of a pen, pencil, computer, or calculator. The good thing is that there are so many real-life activities that can help you put to practice simple maths such as when paying your bills, when tax filing, or grocery shopping, etc. Another way to employ your mind in place of an automated system is reading fictional novels over watching movies. You see, when you read, you activate all of your senses and visual imagery while also improving your language skills. Also, instead of relying on your phone or laptop to correct your spelling errors, do it yourself. Whether you are texting, writing your grocery list, etc., write it yourself and check the spellings you are not sure of in the dictionary. 3. Follow ideas through to various outcomes. Coming up with ideas is good but coming up with different possible outcomes is even better because you can do a proper analysis. In doing that, you are putting your brain to work because you are forced to think deeply about possibilities that aren't on the surface. Doing this activity can help improve your IQ in more ways than you can imagine. 4. Practice mindfulness and meditation. Meditation or any other mindfulness technique can be considered a brain exercise that involves training the mind to be silent and the aim is to become more observant. Meditation is all about focused breathing but adding in a factor of visualization and meditation will help you improve your IQ significantly. When you meditate, your cognitive brain gets stimulated and you can then work on different muscles of your body. For instance, when you visualize, your brain cortexes are activated, improving your IQ over time. According to a study that was published in Consciousness and Cognition, meditation improved visual spatial processing, working memory, and executive functioning. 5. Learning new skill, language. Learning shouldn't be something you only do in school. When you learn a craft, a new language, a musical instrument, or anything else, you help keep your mind active and stimulate areas of your mental functioning that may have been neglected. You can switch things up a little by learning via different means and platform. For instance, you can listen to podcasts, watch videos, read online materials, take courses, etc. Learning a new skill means navigating through new information and this helps to slow down your brain aging, building your mental muscle and help you become better at problem solving. According to a study from the University of Chicago, we stated the relationship between people who are multilingual and decision-making skills. It was observed that multilingual people tend to be better decision-makers when it comes to rational decision-making. So it might be challenging at first, but if you persist, you'll get better at it and the result will help improve your IQ. 6. Play puzzles and games. Games and puzzles like Crossword, Scrabble, and Sudoku are a few fun activities that can actually improve your brain's activity. For instance, puzzles stimulate motor skills because they involve using both hand and eyes simultaneously, helping you to focus better and improving the IQ in turn. Sudoku, on the other hand, brings into picture logic numbers and their proper positioning to make sense of the big picture. A study published in PLOS was carried out to find out the relationship between playing specific games and how it improved the brain memory. After observing young adults who were allowed to play games like Tetris and Brain Age, various aspects of their cognitive abilities, including their IQ, were measured. They found out that these types of games increased executive functions, working memory, and processing speed, but not necessarily a person's IQ. It means that while playing these games might not be responsible for the total improvement of your IQ, it will help exercise some areas of mental functioning. 7. Don't stop reading. Reading is always going to be an essential factor in human cognitive development. It is one of the best ways to learn. And when you learn new things, you stimulate areas of your mental functioning that may have been neglected and improve your IQ by far. So if you haven't been reading, it's hard to start now. Improving your IQ means to keep your mind sharp, your memory fresh, and your focus strong. Following these tips will help you achieve that in no time, and you'll become smarter. There you go. Good luck with this quest.