Puzzles are good for your mental health. Research has shown that daily exercises can boost memory and concentration skills.

Studies have found a correlation between increased levels of mental stimulation and reduced risk of dementia, while simple acts such as reading aloud, doing arithmetic or solving a puzzle can increase blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, which stimulates activity in the rest of the brain.

Analysis also shows that connections between brain cells can be reinforced by repetition, suggesting that the brain is like a muscle that needs stretching from time to time.

The Workout is a daily brain-training exercise to improve the resilience of your mind. We have chosen two quick but intriguing puzzles that we are sure will quickly become addictive.

Cell Blocks is a logic puzzle with a spatial element. It originated in Japan, where it is called Shikaku, which means Divide by Squares. Add Up is a simple arithmetic game which you should try to do in your head.

The rules for both puzzles are easy to grasp, but to give you a head start on Cell Blocks (and to get you hooked).

Many of the brain-training exercises out there feel like maths homework. We hope that The Workout will become a fun part of your daily routine.

How to solve

Divide the grid into blocks. Each block must be square or rectangular and must contain the number of cells indicated by the number inside it.

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