Tuesday 30 April 2013

Physical exercise helps boost brain power and can relieve stress when revising


As we’re in prime revision time right now, I thought it would be a good idea to offer some tips on how to get out your frustration and boost brain activity, at the same time giving you the best possible chance of succeeding in your exams.

Did you know that donning a pair of trainers and going out for a run can boost not only your physical health, but also increase your brain health? The benefits to brain function can be seen on multiple fronts, ranging from the molecular to the behavioural level. It has been shown that just 20 minutes of exercise can lead to an increase in information processing and memory functions.

There are a number of reasons for the increase in brain power. Firstly, exercise increases your heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. Secondly, exercise aids the bodily release of a plethora of hormones, all of which participate in aiding and providing a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells. These two benefits help stimulate the brain plasticity by stimulating growth of new connections between cells in a wide array of important cortical areas of the brain, helping to boost memory and mend damaged brain cells.

There are also behavioural benefits, with a decrease in stress hormones. This is why exercise can have a positive effect during revision as it will allow you to concentrate more and to focus on the work rather than worrying about the exam. One of the best times to exercise is in the morning before you start revising or even before work. This will help boost brain activity and prepare you for the mental stresses of the day. It also produces increases in retention of new information and better reactions to complex situations.

So if you’re getting frustrated with your revision because you don’t understand it, or are feeling stressed out at work get those trainers on and go out and do some exercise. You will feel much better! Even when you’re stuck on one particular problem or feel mentally exhausted, doing a few star jumps might reboot your brain.

Thanks,

The 10ticks team

Thursday 4 April 2013


10ticks has linked up with the Eden Project to offer a fantastic prize!

We are excited to announce that 10ticks has linked up with the Eden Project to offer you a fantastic prize of a family ticket for two adults and up to three children. This will be a great day out for the whole family with the Eden Project being one of the UKs biggest attractions.

To be in with a chance to win the prize all you have to do is make sure your child is in the top 200 most logged in students by the end of the month. We will then pick a winner at random from these 200. The competition deadline is the 30th of April 2013 so make sure your child has logged in by then! All entrants must have an active account at the end of the month to take part in the prize draw.

This competition is one of the many incentives on the site to encourage children to log in and learn. Don’t forget our merit and certificate system, this creates positive reinforcement helping build up confidence and self-esteem. You can award merits from the parent user area for your children. Children can then use this confidence to further their success and achieve great things in maths and beyond.

To opt out of the competition, log into the parent area and look for the competition box in your User Area. Uncheck the box.

What’s on at the Eden Project?

Freaky Nature

29 March- 14 April
Visit Eden this Easter holidays and you’ll never be able to look at plants in quite the same way again. Discover sticky plants, smelly plants, poisonous plants and even carnivorous plants that bite back!  We’re also exploring the freaky side of food, where it comes from and, of course, where plants come in! Discover how plants eat, how they avoid being eaten themselves, explore the fascinating food cycle and take part in some freaky food experiments!

http://www.edenproject.com/visit-us/whats-on/kids-and-families/freaky-nature

If you need any help on the system the 10ticks team are always here to support you. You can contact us via email, phone and Skype as well as through Facebook.

Thanks,

From the 10ticks team