Adults can increase their IQ during their lifetime, but increasing general intelligence can be even more valuable. You can find the specific applications you need to do in this article.

The mass media is full of news about how to raise a child’s IQ. Teaching music lessons, feeding fish or teaching a second language are proven ways to increase IQ levels in children.

But is it possible to increase your IQ once you reach adulthood?

It was once thought that everyone was born with a specified level of intelligence, but today it is a known fact that the human brain retains its capacity for life-long change. This means you have the potential to increase your intelligence and IQ at any age.

What is IQ? How Is It Measured?

IQ or intelligence coefficient is the comparison of your cognitive abilities of your age with other people. The IQ test, which is a tool for measuring intelligence, is not as simple as you think. IQ tests are designed to measure your general ability to solve problems and understand concepts, but this is not an absolute measure of intelligence.

Many experts consider the IQ test to be controversial because some of the tests’ demographic features have built-in biases that lead to disadvantage. They also argue that the idea that intelligence can be derived from a number is misleading. There are many theories that aim to describe the various types of intelligence. One of the most recent theories of intelligence popular with the public, but controversial among psychologists, is the theory of multiple intelligences proposed by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner.

This theory shows that there are 8 types of intelligence.

So, while there are many types of intelligence, IQ tests measure only two: crystalline intelligence and fluid intelligence. Crystallized intelligence is on the knowledge and skills you have accumulated throughout your life. Fluid intelligence includes your ability to reason and solve problems. Additionally, there are many tests available, not just an IQ test.

The most common IQ tests in use today are:

• Cognitive Assessment System

• Differential Ability Scales

• Kaufman Tests

• Reynolds Mental Ability Scales

• Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale

• Wechsler Intelligence Scales

Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Abilities Test

IQ (intelligence coefficient) etc. Intelligence: Which Is More Important?

There are 3 bases that your general intelligence is more important than your IQ.

First, while there is a correlation between high IQ and academic or career success, there are other factors that are deemed more important, such as motivation, mindset, creativity, emotional intelligence, attitude and hard work, common sense and self-discipline.

Second, even if you take active measures to increase your IQ, it is possible to increase your intelligence and cognitive abilities fairly quickly and dramatically while IQ scores remain stable for life.

Finally, a high IQ is not a guarantee of success.

It is not uncommon for people with high IQs to struggle for survival; on the other hand, people with average IQ go on successfully.

The Meaning of Your IQ Test Score

If it’s not an absolute measure of your intelligence, then what does your IQ score mean?

It just tells you how you are compared to anyone taking the IQ test. 100 points is always the overall average score of all test takers. About 70% of IQ test scores fall between 85 and 115 points, 15 points less or more than the average score. And 95% of scores are between 70 and 130. Half of the remaining 5% are below 70 and half above 130. A score below 70 usually indicates a learning disorder, while more than 130 points fall into the “gifted” category.

Below you can see how the IQ test score distribution creates a normal distribution curve.

10 Proven Ways To Increase IQ

While IQ is not the absolute measure of intelligence, there are many reasons you might want to increase your IQ.You may need to take an IQ test as part of a job application.You may enjoy personal challenge or want to join Mensa, a worldwide organization for people above average intelligence. If you are actively working to increase your intelligence, you may want to know if your efforts are working.

Here are activities that have been proven to increase general intelligence and IQ scores in adults:

1. Do Physical Exercise

Physical exercise promotes the flow of oxygen, glucose, and nutrients to your brain.

It is also one of the best ways to promote neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change its structure and function.

Brain plasticity is associated with increased intelligence and greater brain volume.

Even a 30-minute workout session will increase brain plasticity.

A study involving more than a million young people has shown that physical competence is linked to high IQ.

2.Play Dual N-Back

Dual n-back is the first proven brain exercise designed and proven to increase the overall intelligence level of the player. The logic of the Dual N-back method is to try to keep in memory both what we hear (auditory memory) and what we see (visual memory).

Jobs can also increase your IQ by increasing the capacity of memory.

Biohacker Dave Asprey claims to gain an impressive 2.75 IQ points for every hour of his dual n-back training.

You can download one of the many dual n-back applications or access it from the internet.

3.Play chess

If you don’t like dual n-back, you can start chess instead.

Chess stimulates both sides of the brain, increasing concentration, problem-solving skills.

It provides good exercise for your working memory and can increase IQ.

4. Continue Lifelong Education

If you are a teenager or a young adult, stay in school.

Students who stay in school longer have higher IQs.
Going to school increases your IQ by a few points a year as it exposes you to new knowledge and new problems to solve.

Researchers have shown that when each school year is completed, there is an IQ gain of about 3.5 points.

Continuing your education does not mean just getting formal formal education.

Being open to new experiences and also looking for new things to do and learn is a personality trait associated with higher IQ.

You may also consider continuing the musical education you started as a child.

The brain-enhancing benefits of childhood music lessons can continue into adulthood and even last a lifetime.

The benefits of visual arts programs are just as effective.

Art classes improve brain plasticity, fluid intelligence, IQ, and attention in both adults and children.

5.Have a Mentally Challenging Job

Professions that require complex relationships, detailed systems, or solving difficult problems keep you mentally sharp.

A group of 250 middle-aged adults was studied over six years, and it was found that people with complex professions performed better on cognitive tests.

6. Meditation

Meditation increases learning ability, memory and problem solving skills.

Meditation makes you more efficient at processing information, so no wonder its positive effect on IQ.

One study found that those who meditated using brainwave training experienced a significant 23% increase in IQ.

7.Try neurofeedback

Biofeedback is a technique that allows you to manage functions that are not normally under your control, such as heart rate and brainwave activity.

Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that measures brainwave patterns.

When adults and children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) received two neurofeedback sessions per week, the average IQ gain was found to be 12 points.

There are now personal neurotherapy devices that you can use at home.

While there is no guarantee that using one of these devices will increase your IQ, it can put you in the same brainwave state as in meditation.

8.Do the Mensa Exercise

To join Mensa you need to score 98 percent in an approved IQ test.

However, anyone can do Mensa’s 30-minute brain exercises.

You can try it online for free at Mensa Workout.

9.Eat Unprocessed Food

If you want your brain to function at its best, feed it high-powered fuel.

Fruits, walnuts, avocados, eggs, olive oil, coconut oil, dark chocolate, cold water fish, and turmeric are some of the best foods for the brain.

Make sure that most of your diet consists of unprocessed foods.

Eating junk food has been found to lower IQ.

A large study of one million students found that a nutritional attitude without preservatives and artificial dyes and sweeteners led to an impressive 14% increase in IQ.

10. Buy Fish Oil

There are many supplements that have a positive effect on brain health and function, but so far only one has been shown to increase IQ in adults – fish oil.

Researchers in Scotland have followed participants for more than 50 years, from childhood through their final years.

While one study group was given fish oil, the other was not.

At age 11, both groups had an average IQ of 100.

But by the age of 64, the group that did not take fish oil lost 5 IQ points, while the group that took fish oil gained 6 IQ points over their childhood scores.

6 Lifestyle Factors That Can Lower Your IQ (Intelligence quotient)

If other areas of your lifestyle are sabotaging your efforts, there is little point in applying the IQ-boosting methods we discussed above.

The following brain-damaging activities can cause your IQ to drop over time.

1. Don’t smoke

Studies show that smoking can lower your IQ by 7 points.

Young men who smoke are likely to have lower IQs than their non-smoking peers.

A study published in 2010 found that the average IQ for a young non-smoking male is about 101, and a young male who smokes has an average IQ of 94.

Also, smoking more cigarettes reduced IQ.

Those who smoked more than one pack a day had IQs around 90.

2.Don’t Keep Yourself from Sleep

Insomnia affects about half of all adults.

Not being able to constantly get regular sleep weakens the long-term health and function of your brain.

It can also seriously damage IQ.

According to the Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Center, it is recommended to get eight hours of sleep a night, while every hour that decreases from this hour can bring a score on your IQ.

In a report they published, it was reported that staying two hours without sleep each night could result in “mental retardation” of the average IQ.

3. Consume Alcohol in Moderation

Drinking in moderation not only supports health and longevity, it can also protect your brain and keep you mentally sharp as you age.

Alcoholic beverages are regularly consumed in three countries with the highest number of people over a hundred years old – France, Italy and Japan.

The elderly who drink moderately can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 60%.

However, surprisingly, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can lower IQ.

4. Avoid Fluoride

Most toothpastes and tap water in America contain added fluoride to prevent tooth decay.

However, this is a highly controversial practice because fluoride is a neurotoxin linked to ADHD, Alzheimer’s, autism, depression, and nervous system degeneration.

Dozens of studies show a correlation between reduced IQ and fluoride in both adults and children.

To find out if your water contains fluoride, you can check with your local water department.

If it does, you can get a filter that removes fluoride.

But be aware that most filters do not serve this purpose.

One of the few water filters that removes fluoride is the Big Berkey Water System.

5.Don’t Tackle Many Things at Once

Most people try to do more than one task at the same time to achieve more.

However, the evidence makes it clear that multitasking can make you less productive.

Doing back and forth between tasks can result in a 40% loss in productivity.

Quitting your current job to focus on another task can lead to decreased attention span, learning, and performance.

Multitasking can temporarily and alarmingly reduce IQ by as much as 15 points.

6.Avoid Solitude

Many highly intelligent people are introverted and lonely and enjoy spending time alone.

But there are also those who go too far in solitude.

Studies have shown that loneliness can have a significant negative impact on intelligence, including IQ test scores.

How to Get a Certified IQ Test?

If you want to know your real IQ score, there are only 2 valid ways to determine your IQ, according to Mensa.

First, you can take a standard IQ test under the guidance of a licensed psychologist.

Or you can take a supervised standard exam organized by Mensa.

If you live in the USA, you can check if Mensa offers tests near you.

If you live outside of the US, you can check the list of international Mensa organizations.

Beware of Fake Tests on the Internet

Free online tests of all kinds almost always have hidden agendas, and IQ tests are no different.

Free online tests are commonly used to collect data sold to advertisers.

If you contact Mensa.org about this, they will confirm that the internet is full of fake IQ tests and that valid tests can only be administered by a professionally trained person.

Mensa warns you against trying to make you believe that some mock tests are approved by Mensa, because they are not.

If you doubt free online IQ tests, this anecdote might change your mind.

Doctor Dean Burnett Guardian is a neurologist and science writer working for the Guardian.

He applied four online IQ tests, with the answers chosen at random.

Still, the IQ scores generated for him as a result of these tests were 133, 128, 138 and 140!

How to Increase IQ: Conclusion

IQ is a measure of two specific types of intelligence – crystallized and fluid intelligence.

There are measures you can take to increase your IQ, but even if you manage to get a few IQ points, that won’t make you smarter in ways that are important to a successful life.

For this reason, there is no need to stress over your IQ score.

Instead, focus on improving your general intelligence, brain and body health.