I Like to Move It !

If the body is fit, so the mind is. Fitness not only provides body and brain health, it also boosts your intelligence.

Fit people have higher overall blood volume capacity in the body, which allows increased blood flow to the brain. More nutrients go the the brain. They also have higher complexity of the dendrites within the neurons in the brain. This means that their brain cells communicate more efficiently, thus enable the person to think better.

There are two types of fitness. One is being aerobically fit and the other is being strong. Both makes you smarter.
Being aerobically fitter (through running, cycling, rowing etc.)

• Increases your breathing span. Breathing span and attention span are directly proportional. The more efficient the breathing mechanism is, the better your attention and concentration. This creates the focus required in intellectual tasks.
• More oxygen sent to the brain with every breath. The brain thrives with oxygen and this will certainly work better for you this way.

Being physically stronger (through weight lifting and strength training)

• Links the right hemisphere of the brain with the motor coordination area at the back of the brain. More brain areas will be able to work together to process information. This means an increase in intelligence.
• Builds new neurons (brain cells) in your brain as you learn to use sets of muscles that are usually inactive in daily chores. More neurons in the brain is like having more workers in a company. Therefore more work can be done by the brain.
  

Another very effective exercise is dancing. Dancing styles like hip-hop, popping and break dance involves very complex movement. As dancers learn new dance moves, not only they have to memorize them ,but they must also do them correctly and perfect them. This kind of mental operation provides a new depth of training for the brain, thus enhancing cognitive abilities.