January 1998

Look for Me on TV

I have been invited to appear on Corinne Edwards Interviews on the Wisdom Channel, an affiliate of Turner Vision, on Thursday, Feb. 12. This program can be seen around the clock on C-band W1-12 from Alaska to the tip of South America. I'll be talking about my book, Healing Depression: A Guide to Making Intelligent Choices about Treating Depression.

The Road to Fitness Has No Finish Line

As we ring in the new year, you may be wondering the best ways to go about attaining your physical fitness goals. According to the American Council on Exercise, there are five components to physical fitness:

Body composition. Healthy body fat ranges for adults include:

• Men under 30: 14-20%
• Men over 30: 17-23%
• Women under 30: 17-24%
• Women over 30: 20-27%.

To better assist you in determining a realistic and healthy weight for you, I have purchased a body fat monitor second only in accuracy to underwater weighing. Set up an appointment with me to review your weight goals for 1998 and reassess your diet and exercise program for more optimal results.

Because proper nutrition is a key component to reaching and maintaining ideal body weight, I have become a distributor for Shaklee. Many of you have probably read my articles and book stressing the importance of nutrition. I use Shaklee protein (now in chocolate!) for breakfast and feel confident that you and my other clients are getting the best vitamins and minerals available.

Muscular strength. Douglas Brooks, one of the top trainers in the country with whom I have studied, recommends 1-4 month mesocycles composed of 3-4 week periods of strength training. If you are doing the same old program, ask me how you may be able to change your routine for better results.

Muscular endurance. Each of us needs to build not only absolute strength but also the ability to perform long-term for optimal athletic performance.

Cardiorespiratory fitness. Do you know if you are working out in your optimal heart rate range? Ask me how.

Flexibility. Research proves that no matter what your age, you can always improve your flexibility. A flexible body is stronger, pain-free, and more easily adaptable to physical and emotional stress. Many of you have enjoyed my hands-on PNF stretching and understand how much I can improve your range of motion. To improve your flexibility even further, I became certified in yoga this fall. Set up an appointment to learn how to incorporate the many benefits of mind-body exercise into your daily routine.

To these components, I add a 6th and crucial element: mental fitness. My next Brain Gym seminar is the weekend of Feb. 21, 1998. You may join the class to learn how to use these phenomenal techniques for yourself.

Personal Health and Fitness Commitment for 1998

Research by the U.S. Labor Department and studies of many successful people over the years have proven that the difference between those who make it and those who don't is neither intelligence, money, nor status but written, definable goals.

For this reason, I encourage you and all my clients to take the time to consider what your goals are for 1998 and decide what commitments you are willing to make to reach them.

I,___________________________________, having committed to working out with Catherine Carrigan as my personal trainer, make a commitment to myself to make the following improvements in my lifestyle over the course of the next year:

Body Composition:________________________

Strength:_______________________________

Muscular Endurance:_____________________________

Cardiorespiratory Fitness:_______________________________________

Flexibility:_____________________________________

Other________________________________________

My own goal: To serve you better in reaching ever more enjoyable levels of health and fitness in 1998. Following the successful publication of my book, Healing Depression: A Guide to Making Intelligent Choices about Treating Depression (Sante Fe, N.M.: Heartsfire Books, 1997), I reviewed my life and work and realized that I have been blessed with one of the most rewarding professions. Although I began my work in the fitness field as a means of supporting myself as a playwright, I realized that I had never found anything as immediately gratifying as working as a trainer, a Touch for Health practitioner, group exercise instructor and Brain Gym consultant and watching each of you lose weight, tone up, lower your blood pressure, overcome your asthma, get off antidepressants, eliminate chronic pain, and overcome many other previously insurmountable goals.

I gave seminars on my book in Salt Lake, Atlanta, and New York City, lectured at the International Kinesiology Conference in Zurich, and will be going to Denver to teach again in March, but I was never so glad to get back to the people I care about, including you all and my husband, Henry Edmunds.

Thank you for sharing your lives with me.

Catherine Carrigan is a Brain Gym consultant, A.C.E. personal fitness trainer, A.C.E. and N.D.E.I.T.A. group exercise instructor, Touch for Health practitioner in acupressure, and certified yoga instructor. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University, a playwright with 12 plays, 3 produced in New York, and author of Healing Depression: A Guide to Making Intelligent Choices about Treating Depression.