January 2003

Are You Too Tired to Work Out? Get Your Energy Back!

Since Sept. 11, 2001, I have seen an unprecedented number of exhausted clients in my practice. Worried about their personal futures, the national economy and the prospect of war, they arrive at my doorstep without the vitality necessary to complete a vigorous workout. In the past, uninformed fitness trainers would try to mold their clients’ bodies into shape by working them out until they literally dropped. However, those of us familiar with natural health and nutrition recognize this approach does not usually work—either in the short term or long term. On the one extreme end, you can take the case of my friend George Hyder, who operated boot camps three times a week until he dropped dead of a stroke at age 37. On the other, I can relate countless cases of clients who have worked out like dogs with other trainers, only to become more exhausted, more frustrated with eating disorders, more hormonally imbalanced—without having lost an ounce of flab. Here is a summary of the intelligent approach we take at Total Fitness:

Test your adrenals.

Total Fitness has set up a new association with a laboratory company in California used by other Chek Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaches. Frankly, I was fed up with my clients being ripped off. Adrenal tests are available through doctors in Atlanta who mark up the tests 100 percent, and on the internet at considerable cost. All Total Fitness clients may get their adrenals tested through BioHealth Diagnostics of San Diego, California—at my cost. The money goes directly to the lab, and includes a consultation with a doctor to go over the results. I decided to implement this association after a discussion with my friend and colleague, Joseph Collins, a naturopath, expert on women’s hormones and alternative doctor of extreme integrity. Dr. Collins pointed out that in the state of Florida, it is not only unethical but also a crime for doctors to order tests for their patients and then mark up the price. At Total Fitness, we are not doctors—we link our clients with the best practitioners who can really help. 

Know your stress picture.

Once your adrenals are scientifically tested, you can find out if you are in a CATABOLIC or ANABOLIC state. In order to build muscle and prevent premature aging, you must be anabolic. If you are breaking down—physiologically and emotionally—you can still exercise, but we at Total Fitness can guide you to a program that will enable you to restore your health, boost your metabolic rate and become the toned, cut person you want to be. Failure to deal with the biochemical reality of your health may lead to failure to build muscle or lose weight. 

Schedule more vigorous workouts in the morning, more restorative exercise in the afternoon and evening.

The usual pattern of the stress hormone cortisol is higher in the morning, with a significant dip corresponding to a drop or crash in your energy level after 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Most people who lift weights or perform high intensity exercise such as running do best before noon. I recommend lighter exercise after work—Tai Chi, Qi Gong, yoga and walking in particular. If you are trying to force yourself to push the pedal to the metal when you have no gas in your tank, so to speak, you will further imbalance your hormones, aggravate existing addictions like eating disorders and alcoholism and further disrupt your brain chemistry.

Client Testimony, Ailan Sanchez:
Out of Fatigue and Depression

Many clients are so exhausted, depressed, filled with physical pain and discouragement they feel that no one can help them. Here is a testimony from Ailan Sanchez, Total Fitness client and yoga student: “The dark night of the soul was a cliché that I thought only happened to mystics and white clad gurus on the high mountaintops. “When my life began to unravel in my professional, personal, married and family life, I thought there could be no possible way to get out of the downward spiral. My dark night arrived. “Working with Catherine, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. Her methods addressed me as a whole complete person to regain perspective to help me help myself. I was in an abusive marriage after escaping an abusive childhood, very deeply depressed, exhausted from a stressful, demanding job and a myriad of health problems from eating disorders, self-mutilation, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, and arthritis. “Today I’m totally conventional drug-free healthy and making positive changes in my life. My courage Catherine helped me find in myself. From the outside, I had a loving family, wonderful marriage, happily employed, and healthy. After 16 years I realized the outside illusion was what was slowly killing me. Thank you Catherine for believing in me when I was ready to stop believing in myself.”

Ailan learned about Total Fitness from her deacon and my client, Tom Shuler. She started coming to our regular yoga classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and then worked with me one-on-one. Ailan’s program has included:

Regular yoga practice. Just learning proper yogic breathing can lift a person out of depression. The fitness expert Moshe Feldenkrais pointed out that for every mood, there is a corresponding body posture and breathing pattern. At Total Fitness, we teach our clients about the many benefits of proper breathing by using our HeartMath computer program. Deep yogic breathing helps the brain produce its own natural antidepressants and DHEA, the master hormone of the body, which shifts metabolism from a catabolic (breaking down) to an anabolic state. The companionship of other yoga students helped. Ailan made friends and joined them for walks outside of class.

Life coaching. Ailan learned about specialized kinesiology for the brain, and began life coaching with me. I learned specialized kinesiology from my mentor in Canada, Sue Maes (www.brainwhiz.com), and study healing for the brain about four weeks every year. The work I learned from Sue, in addition to teaching Brain Gym for years, has enabled me to put together a coaching program that brings profound results very quickly.

Nutrition. Ailan learned how to optimize her brain chemistry by the way she ate. Although medical professionals had recommended she turn to more drastic treatments, she was surprised how simple lifestyle changes made her feel happier and more energetic.

Rest. I taught Ailan that according to scientific research, the brain needs 10 hours of rest every day to restore its neurotransmitters. The physical body restores itself when you are sleeping between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Psychic regeneration occurs between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. If you don’t go to bed and turn your lights out by 10 p.m., you have trouble restoring your energy to enjoy the following day. Many clients who have arthritis and severe pain are amazed how they can regenerate by sleep.

Walking. I encouraged Ailan to replenish her Vitamin D levels and the brain chemical serotonin by walking daily in the sunlight.

Water with Bach flowers. All neurotransmitters work in water. I recommended a personalized Bach flower remedy to be added to her water to aid in emotional balancing.

Classes