5 things to do in quarantine to boost your IQ

So you're stuck inside, and it kind of sucks -- just a slight understatement, really. For many, Covid-19 is a life-changing (or crushing, even) event, so those of us whose biggest worry is remembering what day it is and making ourselves put on real pants, doing something is highly encouraged.

Also recommended? Breaking up the monotony with a challenge. When every day feels like Wednesday, becoming one with your couch is tempting. The couch doesn't care. It's a couch. You, on the other hand, probably will care when endless hours of Netflix leaves you with major brain fog. Try these activities to stay sharp. If you do them every day, you may get out of quarantine smarter than you were before!

Run sprints

Or jump rope, try a Zumba class on YouTube, or do a HIIT workout. It doesn't matter what activity you pick, as long as it elevates your heart rate. Lifting weights can improve muscle tone and bone density, but aerobic activities are the ones that give your brain a boost. In some studies, sprinting was more effective at improving IQ than playing brain-training games. In other words, if you'd like to get smarter without thinking about it, just go for a run! Your brain will thank you, and your couch potato butt probably will too.

Bring out the chessboard

I'm not a huge fan of chess. Trying to remember what all the little people do bugs me. I want to make the knight elope with the queen in a scandalous twist, but apparently that's not how you play. If you play by the rules, however, it's amazing for your brain. The strategy involved exercises both hemispheres of your brain and strengthens the connection between them, which is amazing for increasing mental acuity. The moral of the story? Don't play chess like me.

Review your high school French textbook

Few of us learned a language fluently in high school, but we probably should have. Learning a new language helps you better understand how your native language works and changes how you think for the better. It also reduces the likelihood of developing dementia later in life. Oh...and it's pretty hot.

Brush off the dust on your guitar

Learning an instrument is similar to learning a language, except the language sounds extra awesome. Like learning a language, it uses both sides of your brain and gives your memory a workout, with the added benefit of strengthening your coordination and speeding up sensory processing. So what if you sound terrible at first? It's fun and good for your stressed out, underutilized noggin.

Sleep

In high school, I tried to convince my mom that I couldn't study without a nap. It turns out I wasn't too far off. (Suck it, mom!) While you admittedly can't review history notes while unconscious, your brain consolidates memories while you sleep. Not getting enough zzz's is a surefire way to slow down the learning process, and if it gets bad enough you can actually start losing IQ points- about one point lost for every hour of sleep you lose each night.

Welp, guess it's time to do some jumping jacks, torture my neighbors with mediocre violin and take a nap. Maybe I'll wake up a little smarter.