Our mind is incredibly vital to us; we use it for everything we do, whether it's doing a math problem, reading and doing just about anything else you can think of (you're using your brain to read this right now, unless of course you're absentmindedly staring at the pretty design of the page). In this day and age being smart is just as important as being fit if not more so. To succeed in the world, you have to be smart, capable, and dedicated. The problem is, many people now are developing brain problems much earlier in life than usual. This is pretty sad, because it's very easy to avoid that if you dedicate a little time to activities such as doing puzzles, playing strategy games, reading a mentally stimulating book, and writing (which most of you probably do anyway). These activities, if done regularly, can reduce your chances of getting Alzheimer's and other brain problems by as much as 40%! If you start young that's even better.


I think that brain disuse, however, is one of the greatest problems facing us. Anything that switches off your mind is bad. Such activities that "turn off" your brain include watching television, listening to very low content music, and reading trashy magazines. Obviously I'm not saying you absolutely shouldn't do any of these activities, I'm just saying think before you go that fourth night of watching TV until midnight! Seriously, if you limit yourself or do mentally stimulating activities like the ones i mentioned earlier, it will really help.


Mental fitness not only involves hard thinking. If you read any type of book really, or write, or make music, and exercise, you will still do yourself a big favor. You might even raise your IQ (what, no gasps of excitement) which researchers now say is possible. So what are you waiting for? Start stretching your mind. Seriously, you won't regret it.