5 Hobbies That Can Make You Smarter (Infographic) Come and play. Growing your gray matter doesn't have to be boring.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Your teachers were right: Your brain is like a muscle. To make it smarter, all you need to do is lift intellectual weights -- and often.

Studies show that regularly exercising our minds with challenging new stimuli -- not endless hours of Keeping Up With the Kardashians -- increases IQ. It's true. When you learn something new, you grow your gray matter. It's not rocket science.

Sure, crossword puzzles and sudoku are brilliant ways to sharpen your intellect and expand your neuroplasticity, but they're far from the only options here. Other, less ho hum hobbies, like working out, for example, are also proven to spur your smarts. In fact, breaking a sweat improves not only your physique, but also your long-term memory and object recognition memory. Think about that next time you hit the gym.

Related: You Have the Power to Rewire Your Brain for More Joy

Believe it or not, playing video games is another fun, engaging way to boost your brainpower. I know. The hover mom in me didn't want to believe it either. Despite their bad rap, and please don't tell my tweens and teen this, gaming for 30 minutes a day has been shown to enrich your brain's strategic planning, spatial navigation, motor skills and more. Fine, go ahead. Game on, just not too much, okay?

For more brain-feeding activities you can do to get smarter, feast your mind on the bright infographic below, care of ProEssayWriter.net.

Click to Enlarge+
5 Hobbies That Can Make You Smarter (Infographic)

Related: This Is Your Brain on Not Enough Sleep (Infographic)

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

They Started a Side Hustle Producing an 'Obvious' Food Item. It Hit $300,000 Monthly Revenue Fast — On Track for Over $20 Million in 2025.

When Jason Rosenbaum and Hailey Swartz couldn't find the product they wanted to see on grocery store shelves, they took matters into their own hands.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Here's How Much Google Software Engineers, Product Managers, and Data Scientists Make in a Year

Data revealed in federal filings shows how much Google is compensating its employees.

Real Estate

Why Buying a 'Second Home' First is the New Way to Build Wealth — and Enjoy Free Vacations

The dream of owning a home has never felt more out of reach. So, a growing number of aspiring homeowners are making an unconventional choice.

Business Ideas

What My First Failed Startup Taught Me — and How I Finally Got It Right 20 Years Later

Launching a startup two decades after a failed first attempt brought clarity, humility, and a deeper understanding of what it really takes to build a sustainable business.

Business News

Microsoft Executive Says Using AI Has Saved $500 Million in Productivity Costs, as the Company Conducts Mass Layoffs

Microsoft is leveraging AI tools for cost savings in various departments, including customer service.