Skills that constitute your IQ—like abstract reasoning, language skills, and identifying patterns and relationships—can all be developed with training. Some people may be able to build those skills faster and with less effort, but we all have the ability to improve our basic intelligence.

In fact, Online Course Report shows that you can raise your IQ by almost 20 points in just 7 days. Think you can't get smarter? Think again. It'll just take a week to increase your IQ score. Here's how:

Sunday

Activity: Play games and solve puzzles

Why: A major part of IQ testing is measuring fluid intelligence, which is your ability to adapt and solve problems.

How long: 25 minutes per day

IQ points added: 4

Monday

Activity: Take creatine supplements (but not too much)

Why: Creatine, long used to improve athletic performance, has also been found to boost memory and intelligence; it also helps maintain energy levels in the brain.

How much: No more than 5

grams per day (unless you're also trying to bulk up)

IQ points added: 2

Tuesday

Activity: Put down the steak Why: Lifestyle and nutritional choices of vegetarians are associated with high intellectual functioning and slower cognitive decline; researchers have found that changing your diet could bring back 10 years of your IQ age.

How long: 10 minutes to prepare a healthy dish

IQ poin ts added: 1

Wednesday

Activity: Play a social game like Words with Friends

Why: We already that games help boost your fluid intelligence, but the social interaction of a game like Words With Friends naturally stimulates intelligence by requiring your brain to collect, organise and recall information.

How long: A complete game takes

about 50 minutes

IQ points added: 1

Thursday

Activity: Try yourself Why: As with most activities, practice can make perfect, and taking a practice IQ test can quickly prime the pump and improve your IQ.

How long: 30 minutes

IQ points added: 2 points

Friday

Activity: Exercise

Why: Cardiovascular exercise can raise verbal intelligence by as much as 50%.

How long: 20-30 minutes per day IQ points added: 5

Saturday

Activity: Pick up the controller Why: First-person video games have been determined to enhance visual awareness in the real world.

How long: 60 minutes a day IQ points added: 2 points Total points added in 1 week: 17