Week one: Initial Consultation

A few weeks ago, I met with Melanie Whittaker, news editor at the Kent and Sussex Courier. I will be working with Melanie over a number of weeks as she takes on one of my Get Fit challenges. We first met for her initial consultation which covers three main areas - medical history, lifestyle and exercise history. This gives me a fair picture of how healthy the client is and what sort of program would suit them. It also gives me the chance to find out what type of exercise they might enjoy.

In Melanie's case this was all very positive, as she eats healthily and takes regular exercise by walking her two dogs. However, although this keeps her healthy, she was going to need a more relevant, directed exercise plan to get her toned and in great shape for her wedding this year.

Although Melanie had used a gym regularly before, eventually the motivation died as it started to become tedious. Therefore, we looked at all the things that Melanie enjoys, such as classes or exercising with a friend to give me an idea of what will keep the program interesting and rewarding.

As always, there are injuries or medical conditions which may affect exercise prescription. In Melanie's case, there has been a history of Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA). With EIA there are a few main things to consider:

* In severe cases, 2 puffs of Ventolin may be used 10 to 15 minutes before exercise
* A long, gradual warm up will reduce the risk of bronchospasm
* In some cases, EIA is exaggerated by cold, damp or dusty environments
* Start off slowly, and concentrate on increasing duration before increasing intensity
* Always have inhaler with you when exercising
To finish, we performed static tests such as lung power, blood pressure and fat percentage. Fat percentage is measured with a bio-impedance monitor which is considerably more effective than a simple weight or BMI measurement.

Next week will be Melanie's first session and I will be discussing how to make 2005 the year you get fit.