It’s too far away… I just do not have the time…. I really do not have the appropriate equipment to do it at home. Each one of those is a common excuse to either; not working out at the gym, or not working out at home. But if you could choose one or the other, which method is better: Going to the gym, or staying and working out at home? Each one has their own merits; it all depends on what you are looking for.
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Our bodies are meant to move, it feels good and keeps us healthy. Think back to when you were a kid, thrilled at the chance to run and play at recess. That feeling of freedom, getting to stretch your muscles, to chase after a ball or a friend….. Exercise makes your body healthy; your brain releases endorphins (chemicals that are reported to decrease pain and stress), your muscles get stronger, it just feels good.

There are many more benefits to moving around than there are for staying still.

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UPDATE: Visit the Edmonton Journal to watch all of the presentations from Pecha Kucha Night 12! We send a huge thank you to the Edmonton Journal, Ryan Jackson, and Kerry Powell for making this possible.

And a huge thank you to our sponsors: The City of Edmonton, Capital Power Corporation and Graphos.

Edmonton’s NextGen presents Pecha Kucha Night 12, February 2, 212, at the Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre (8712 109 Street).

Doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m.; with presentations beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at TIX on the Square; charge by phone at 780.420.1757 or online at www.tixonthesquare.ca.

Join the conversation on Twitter, hashtag #PKN12.

PKN12 features presentations on local ideas, projects and musings in the 20 slides x 20 second per slide format made popular world-wide by Klein Dytham Architecture.

A first for Pecha Kucha Nights in Edmonton, PKN12 features live music from Kevin Marsh and Jill Roszell.

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It’s the second week of January and for many, the excitement of their January resolution has already worn off. Perhaps you never started or it was more difficult than you thought or you actually didn’t even know where to begin! You’re not alone – 80% of people make at least one resolution come January 1^st and a whopping 88% of those people don’t make that resolution a reality!!

It doesn’t need to be that way though (and even though it’s not January 1^st, you could start again, no one has to be the wiser). Let’s look at the top 3 reasons people are unsuccessful and how you can be one of the 12% fulfilling your goal this 2012.
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Edmonton’s NextGen is a hub for connecting people, places, community and ideas together. We want to host conversations that empower our community by providing a platform for different voices that will spark interesting discussions based on ideas and opinions from various thought leaders in Edmonton. Our city is filled with talented, energetic and a community-oriented individuals who actively work to make Edmonton a better place to be for now and generations to come. 

We are getting our peers to help us out. We are happy to introduce our new guest blogging series “NextGen Speaks Out” . With a different theme each month, this feature will showcase a variety of Edmontonians who are influencers or “experts” on that month’s theme. The series is named NextGen Speaks Out because speaking out is defined as the ability to talk freely and fearlessly, about a public issue. With each new post we not only encourage our community to read and share the ideas and opinions brought forward by the guest blogger but also to also engage in conversation and discussion in the comment section or in other social realms.

January’s Next Gen Speaks Out theme is Health and Fitness.  Especially at this time of year, Health and Fitness is a theme on the forefront of people’s minds, whether as a result of a resolution to get healthy, becoming more fit, losing weight or because of a looming winter vacation to somewhere tropical. We anticipate that you will get informed, pick up tips, share your successes or setbacks, and maybe even look at it from a different point for view.

Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!

Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.

6:30 PM Doors, 7:30 PM Presentations | January 26 | PECHA KUCHA: METROPOLIS

Pecha Kucha Nights have become one of Edmonton’s NextGen’s most popular and enduring public events. Japanese for the phrase “the sound of chitchat”, Pecha Kucha Nights feature presentations on local ideas, projects and musings in the 20 slides x 20 second per slide format made popular world-wide by Klein Dytham Architecture.  At METROPOLIS, the public is invited to attend Pecha Kucha: Metropolis featuring “best of” presentations from the past 11 installments of the event plus fresh ideas.

Featuring Presentations from:

8:30 AM | January 27 | SOCIAL MEDIA BREAKFAST #13 

Edmonton’s NextGen is pleased to partner with SMBYEG as Food Sponsor of Social Media Breakfast #13, taking place right next door to METROPOLIS at the CBC Centre Stage, 10062-102 Avenue.  The Edmonton Social Media Breakfast (SMBYEG) is pleased to announce Walter Schwabe (@fusedlogic) as this month’s guest speaker.

The Awesomeness of SocialTV

Understanding the digital behaviors of today’s online audiences can help businesses accomplish their objectives far better today than in the original static Web eco-system.  Walter Schwabe, Chief Evolution Officer of fusedlogic inc., and Executive Producer of fusedlogicTV will define and discuss the impact of digital behaviors such as, “social viewing” now associated with traditional television programming and how it’s changing the industry as a whole.  Further, he’ll demonstrate how the entertainment industry has effectively integrated into the social eco-system, while discussing the impact of social viewing data which is affecting entertainment expenditures.

Overall, Walter’s talk on SocialTV will look to reveal interesting behavioral patterns associated with this evolving space for your viewing, tweeting and blogging pleasure. Register for Social Media Breakfast #13 at http://www.amiando.com/smbyeg13.html

6:30 PM| January 27 | MEÆT 1.5

A project of Edmonton’s NextGen ENGAGE, producers of the popular DIYalouge forums, MEÆT1.5 brings local creatives and new philanthropists together for an evening of short proposals followed by a shared meal. At the end of the meal, all diners vote on which proposal receives the pot of funds to move forward with their project: immediate funding for awesome ideas! Presenters and diners are encouraged to register in advance at www.meaet.com; a minimum donation of $10 for dinners is suggested.

MEÆT1.5 is supported by JCI Edmonton. JCI Edmonton is dedicated to the development of opportunities that empower young Edmontonians to create positive change. Founded in 1929, JCI Edmonton encourages young professionals to Be Better and is part of a global movement with more than 200,000 members, creating positive change in the communities they call home.

January 28 | WINTER WONDERS

Visitors are encouraged to explore their creative sides with a number of interactive activities, events include:

• interVivos presents A Minute to Win It | Ongoing
• Break dance jam | 1 PM – 4 PM
• Open hoop / spinning jam | 4 PM – 6 PM
• artsScene presents an evening of creativity | 6 PM – 10 PM
  • Modern dance, improv and comedy performances
• Fire spinning performance | 10 PM – 10:30 PM

Winter Wonders is made possible through the support of artsScene Edmonton and interVivos. artsScene Edmonton is a volunteer-driven non-profit initiative that brings together young creative and business professionals (ages 18 – 40) through the arts to grow Edmonton’s creative community. artsScene is a national initiative from Business for the Arts. The interVivos Mentorship Society of Alberta (interVivos) provides a welcoming, respectful forum to openly discuss issues that affect our community, province and country’s current and future social, political and economic well-being.

11 AM – 4 PM | January 28 | SNOW SCULPTURE COMPETITION

M.A.D.E, Media Art and Design Edmonton hosts a Snow Sculpture competition in the East Gardens of Sir Winston Churchill Square. Teams can register at www.madeinedmonton.org.

A maximum of 8 teams of 2-3 people will compete to create snow furniture. Each team is provided 4 blocks of snow, sized at 0.5 cubic meters. Teams are required to bring their own hand tools and water to shape and fasten snow furniture. Powered tools are not allowed for this competition.

M.A.D.E , Media, Art, Design Exposed in Edmonton, is a young, volunteer driven, not-for-profit organization that is actively working to bring out the best in Edmonton’s design community, with a focus on the fields of architecture, graphic design, industrial design, landscape architecture, interior design, fine art, and film. The Snow Sculpture Competition is a natural extension of M.A.D.E’s popular street furniture collaboration with the Works Art & Design Festival which recently celebrated its 10^th anniversary!

12 PM – 9 PM | January 29 | THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

Old Ugly curates The Tip Of The Iceberg: featuring half hour sets from twelve of Edmonton’s most sought after independent music acts! Acts include: Jom Comyn, Camembert, Krang, Viking Fell, Brazilian Money, Jessica Jalbert, Field & Stream, Mitchmatic, Scenic Route To Alaska, Jeff Stuart & The Hearts, Liam Trimble, and 100 Mile House.

Old Ugly Recording Company is a collective of artists dedicated to creating and preserving an Edmonton musical aesthetic for audiences of all ages.

METROPOLIS is a celebration if Edmonton’s dynamic winter culture, featuring four pavilions designed by an international roster of architects and programming from a variety of community and corporate partners. Tents are fully heated. For more information, visit www.metropolisedmonton.ca.

Edmonton’s NextGen presents Pecha Kucha Night 12, February 2, 2012, at Metro Cinema at The Garneau (8712 – 109 Street). PKN12 features presentations on local ideas, projects and musings in the 20 slides x 20 second per slide format made popular world-wide by Klein Dytham Architecture. Tickets go on sale on Monday, January 9, at 10:00 a.m. via TIX on the Square; charge by phone at 780.420.1757 or online at www.tixonthesquare.ca.

More than 125 presentations have been given at Edmonton Pecha Kucha Nights to-date on wide ranging topics, from professional online gaming to in vitro meat and everything in between. In 2011, Pecha Kucha Global recognized the poster design and accompanying production video from PKNX as one of the Top 20 Pecha Kucha Moments of 2011, thanks in large part to the talented creative efforts of Graphos, a PKN corporate sponsor and Capital Power Corporation, our ongoing sponsor for PKNs.

Tokyo’s Klein Dytham Architecture first devised Pecha Kucha, the Japanese phrase for “the sound of chitchat” in 2003, as a night for young designers to meet, network, and discuss their projects. The catch: each designer gives a presentation containing only 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds, for a total presentation length of six minutes 40 seconds. Conceived as a venue through which young designers could meet, show their work, exchange ideas, and network, the format keeps presentations concise, fast-paced and entertaining.

A first for Pecha Kucha Nights in Edmonton, PKN12 features live music from Kevin Marsh and Jill Roszell.

Doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m.; with presentations beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 for students and $11 for adults, plus services charges, and go on sale January 9, 2012, at TIX on the Square.

Our spiffy Pecha Kucha Night 12 poster, designed by the team at Graphos, is available as a FREE download for your desktop, iPad, and iPhone: http://graphos.ca/pechakucha-wallpapers.asp. Thanks for helping us spread the word about PKN12!