Mental exercises

Mental exercises such as puzzles and quizzes are said to burn an average of 90 calories every hour – more calories than are contained in a jammy dodger or a chocolate hobnob
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Mental agility expert Tim Forrester from brain training website canny minds.com which published the claims, said giving the brain a workout burns calories in the same way that giving the body a workout does.
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"Our brains require 0.1 calories every minute simply to survive," he said.
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"When we do something challenging such as a puzzle or a quiz we burn through 1.5 calories every minute."
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The brain is made up of millions of neurons which communicate with other neurons, transmitting messages to the body.
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Neurons produce chemicals called neurotransmitters to relay their signals.
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These neurons extract 75 per cent of the sugar glucose, available calories and 20 per cent of the oxygen from the blood to create these neurotransmitters.
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So undertaking activity such as difficult crosswords or challenging sudoku’s means your brain will need more glucose and more calories.
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Eight-time World Memory Champion Dominic O'Brien said brains needs work outs just as much as bodies.
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"Just as you need to continually exercise your body to stay fit and healthy you also need to exercise your brain and memory to remain mentally agile," he said.
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* Snacks you can enjoy which have the same calories as an hour's brain workout include:
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A chocolate chip cookie = 56 calories
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A jammy dodger = 85 calories
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A custard cream = 57 calories
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A chocolate hobnob = 79 calories
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* But if you carried on for two hours with a puzzle you could enjoy:
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A pack of Hula Hoops = 175 calories
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A bag of Maltesers = 186 calories
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A creme egg = 173 calories
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A bag of jelly babies = 180 calories
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Daily Telegraph