a monthly e-newsletter of the Young Professionals Network   |   January 2011

Letter from YPN Chair   Thank you for welcoming me as the new advisory council chair of YPN. It has truly been a pleasure learning from both Tania Bengtsson and her predecessor, Cathy Raven. I have some big shoes to fill!   It has been great to be a part of YPN over the past five years as we have continued to gain momentum and opportunities for young professionals in this community. I believe that young professionals are a valuable resource for our community, and we need to do more to be sure this resource is utilized. YPN has goals to be the major source of information related to connecting and retaining young professionals. We want young professionals to be on every board, council and committee possible making sure our voice is heard. YPs bring a new perspective, energy and style to organizations and can do a lot to benefit our community. Hopefully, you can tell that I am passionate about YPN and the mission we pursue. I plan on using this passion to lead the advisory council to the best of my abilities. Please contact me if you have an opinion you'd like to share or if you are interested in being involved with YPN. We have some lofty goals, and the YPs of our community are the greatest resource in helping us get there!   Ryan Fenstermaker FenstermakerR@1stsource.com   NEW YEAR, NEW YOU – TIPS ON STAYING FIT AND HEALTHY IN 2011   Getting in shape and losing weight seem to always top the list of New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately, 92% of resolutions end in failure. There are a number of excuses of why people don't work out or eat right, even though it's common knowledge that we need to. Here are some tips from Dr. Mick McConnell, a Chiropractic Orthopedist at Active Health and Wellness Center and a Fitness Coach with Team Beachbody on how to reach and keep your 2011 fitness goals. Have a purpose. Understand getting fit and eating right will improve your quality of life. Looking good is a great side effect, but if that is your only goal it's easy to get frustrated and lose your focus. It takes time and work to get fit. Focus on long-term goals by making short-term goals. That way each time you reach one of your short-term goals you get a feeling of accomplishment and can focus on the next goal.   Schedule your workouts. It's important to schedule your workouts on your calendar a week ahead of time like you would any other meeting. If you wing it and try to fit it in sometime, you'll end up on your couch at night swearing you'll fit it in the next day. Remember, the past two Presidents found time to workout, you can too.   Be consistent. You need to work out 5 to 6 days a week for 20 to 60 minutes a day to experience dramatic results and achieve long-term fitness. We eat, sleep and brush our teeth every day. Think about what happens when you skip a day or two of any of these things. We haven't been raised to see working out as normal, but starting and stopping will kill your momentum of change and improvement.   Intensity is key. If you want to make long-term changes you need to work hard. Going a steady pace on the stair climber talking to the person next to you or going for a short walk will not make changes. Is it better than nothing? Sure, but if an activity seems fairly easy, your body is already efficient at it and it doesn't challenge your body enough. You want most of your workouts to fall between a 6 and 8 on a 10 scale of exertion.   Get support. Making major changes is not easy. Finding friends, coworkers or family members who share similar goals can help get you through the hard times. Work out together, take a class, play a sport. Find exercises that you like so you look forward to them instead of dreading them. If you know you have to meet someone to workout you don't want to let them down. It'll motivate you to do it on those days where the couch is looking pretty inviting.   Eat well. Getting fit and healthy is 30% workout, 70% diet. Even if you work out hard every day, it is not an excuse to eat whatever you want. Food is meant to fuel your body. 90% of your diet should be made up of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. That leaves you some leeway to splurge once in awhile to keep your sanity. Also, make your food for the week on Sunday and get it ready each night. That way you will know what you're eating each day and will be less tempted by fast food. Getting fit takes time and planning. If you have any questions on diet, exercise, injuries or anything associated with fitness you can contact Dr. McConnell at thenative@yahoo.com. His websites are www.activehealthcenter.com and www.beachbodycoach.com/mickmcconnell and phone is (574) 259-9355. He also offers a free workout group every Tuesday at 7pm at the Waterford Estates Lodge in South Bend for all fitness levels. OUTDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA   There are plenty of ways to enjoy the winter wonderland around St. Joseph County. Tubing No skill or equipment is required to go innertubing at any of the three hills in St. Joseph County. Choose from Ferrettie/Baugo Creek County Park, St. Patrick's County Park, or George Wilson Park in Mishawaka.   Ice Skating Show off your ice skating skills at either Howard Park Ice Rink or Merrifield Ice Rink. Whether that be showing off with triple-axel jumps or hugging the railing, it will surely be an experience to remember. Click here for a special offer coupon for the Howard Park Ice Rink.   Snowshoeing Try snowshoeing at Ferrettie/Baugo Creek County Park or cross-country skiing at St. Patrick's County Park. See winter in the wild first hand on the groomed trails. Ski and snowshoe rental are available. For more information, visit St. Joseph County Parks, Mishawaka Parks and Recreation Department and the South Bend Parks and Recreation Department   Upcoming Events   Power Lunch: YPN: What Does It Mean For Me? Thursday, February 3 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Legends of Notre Dame $10/person   Are you new to the Young Professionals Network? Have you been a member for some time but haven’t attended an event in a while, only know a few aspects of YPN, or don’t know exactly how to best use this group both for personal and business networking? Let us help you get acquainted or re-acquainted with YPN. This event will have the advisory council chair of YPN, Ryan Fenstermaker, and speakers from each YPN team explaining what they do, how you can benefit, and maybe even how to get involved. REGISTER Look for a fun, networking event tied to a popular board game in late February! More details to come. News Alert! The Chamber and YPN will present a Mayoral Candidate Forum on Tuesday, March 29 in Bendix Theatre at the Century Center. More details on candidates and voting info to come in the next issue of the newsletter.     Community Corner   South Bend Common Council Committees YPs interested in applying to be a citizen member of a South Bend Common Council Committee can click here for an online application. Trivia Night – Make a Difference Michiana Make A Difference Michiana Trivia Night is Saturday, February 19 at ICE Athletic Center in Mishawaka. Click here for more information. Board and Committee Positions for Bridges of Hope Bridges of Hope, a nonprofit organization preventing homelessness for women and children, is accepting applications for a position on the board. Click here for more information on the organization. For more information on any of the involvement opportunities, contact Carol Swope at Carol@bridgeofhopesjc.com or 574-286-0940.   READING CORNER   This month, as we kick-off the new year, the Newsletter Team wants YOUR feedback on what reading topics interest you and help you as a young professional! Please e-mail us with your thoughts on the following items:   What books, magazines, or other publications do you read throughout the year? How often do you take time to read? What topics or issues would you most like to see in this e-newsletter profile each month in the Reading Corner?   Please e-mail your feedback to Mike Niedbalski at mike@integritassearch.com. Thanks everyone for your feedback and support of YPN!

Young Professionals Network
The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
401 E. Colfax Ave., Suite 310, South Bend, IN 46617