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Hi All,

I'd like to thank Ms. Richa Sharma to consent for the interview with the Health and Fitness India network. Our Q&A are as follows:

1. Why did you decide to enter the fitness industry?

I was always a fitness enthusiast and I realized that in most of the gyms I went to, there were no properly qualified trainers. Most of their methods were outdated and non-scientific. Most of the trainers have been focusing on body-building rather than overall fitness. As a result the desired results were rare or limited. Sometimes I used to get nagging injuries as well. It was a continuous journey rather than a single incident and exploration of exercising concepts that made me aware of proper training methods. Once I achieved what I wanted, I decided to turn it into a career and help other people.

2. What are your specialties as a fitness professional?

• Handle the progression and transition of all the clients into new, more effective exercises.

• Make exercise programs based on specific, customized needs and goals.

• Create and implement complete and individualized time based programs which include weight goals, diet specifications and menus, physical training and exercise, and lifestyle changes.

• Focus on motivation and program adherence.

• Correct assessment of posture deviations and prescribing correct and safe rectification methods.

3. What's a great piece of advise that you've given to a client?

One of my clients is a middle aged woman. She had not worked out or had any kind of exercise in many years. The moment she joined a gym, she expected immediate results. Also just by looking at other regular gym goers, she started to expect the same fitness level as those members. I had to tell her to be patient and consistent with her workouts as one cannot undo the damage caused by several years of unhealthy lifestyle, instantly. Its important to work on strong foundation and to start with modest, short term goals.

4. Can you please share any major mistakes that fitness professionals make?

Trainers sometimes introduce too much too early, without even working on the basic movements in order to impress the client. This can sometime lead to injuries. If a client is de-conditioned, before introducing movement patterns, trainers should first work on stability and mobility training.

5. Where do you see yourself professionally in the next five and ten years from now?

I would like to educate myself more. Since obesity is like an epidemic now I would like to complete "Lifestyle and Weight Management" certification. I want to reach out to more people who are in need of expert guidance and want to promote Fitness as a Lifestyle habit. Also I have started my own Facebook page called "Quickfit by Richa Sharma" through which I am regularly posting Fitness updates and facts.

Her professional and contact details:

• ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified personal trainer. Certificate No. - T160334

• PIA (Pilates Institute of America) Certification

• Attended and completed “Training the Core” webinar by exercise physiologist Pete McCall, one of the founders of ACE IFT model.

• Successfully completed ACE IFT (Integrated Fitness Training) model.

• International Red Cross CPR

• Kettle bell workshop with Steve Cotter 

• Completed a continuing education program with ACE on "Fitness and Menopause"

richasharma133@gmail.com

The Entire List of Health and Fitness Professional Interviews

http://www.healthfitnessindia.com/profiles/blogs/interviews-of-health-and-fitness-professionals-in-india

An obese person incurs 25% higher health expenditures than a person of normal weight in any given year. http://www.oecd.org/health/49716427.pdf

Dr Anoop Mishra, director of diabetology, obesity and metabolism department, Fortis Group asserts that a lower BMI guideline is necessary for Indians living anywhere in the world. "Indians are more prone to Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. We are developing diseases at lower BMI too, so it was absolutely necessary to revise these in India. We have also revised exercise guidelines to 60 minutes, all 7 days of the week. But a lot more still needs to be done. The government needs to launch a major programme to counter the obesity issue. Otherwise there will soon be a diabetic factory in India." http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-08-02/news/28385935_1_anti-obesity-body-mass-index-bmi

From http://www.jmnn.org/temp/JMedNutrNutraceut1137-8786347_022626.pdf

Earlier, developing countries, including India, had focused scarce public health resources primarily on the high prevalence of undernutrition. However, these nations are currently facing the double burden of undernutrition as well as overnutrition. Data regarding the nutritional status of adults, as determined by body mass index (BMI), indicate that 50% of Indian adults suffer from different types of chronic energy deficiency, in that they have a BMI <18.5 kg/m^2. In the same survey, it was observed that the BMI values were similar in men and women; however, there were more overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m^2) women (6.6%) than men (3.5%). In certain regions, obesity and consequent diseases are posing an enormous public health problem.

From http://www.childinfo.org/files/low_birthweight_from_EY.pdf

"India alone accounts for 40 per cent of low birthweight births in the developing world and more than half of those in Asia"

From http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932523994

"Health at a Glance 2011: OECD Indicators

2. NON-MEDICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH - Overweight and obesity among children

2.4.1. Children aged 5-17 years who are overweight (including obese), latest available estimates 18.3% girls and 20.6% boys in India.

10 facts on obesity

Reviewed March 2013

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/obesity/facts/en/index.html (details on site)

1. Overweight and obesity are defined as "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health"

Body mass index (BMI) – the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2) – is a commonly used index to classify overweight and obesity in adults. WHO defines overweight as a BMI equal to or more than 25, and obesity as a BMI equal to or more than 30.

2. More than 1.4 billion adults were overweight in 2008, and more than half a billion obese

3. Globally, over 40 million preschool children were overweight in 2008

4. Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight

5. For an individual, obesity is usually the result of an imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended

6. Supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping people’s choices and preventing obesity

7. Children's choices, diet and physical activity habits are influenced by their surrounding environment

8. Eating a healthy diet can help prevent obesity

People can:
1) maintain a healthy weight
2) limit total fat intake and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats
3) increase consumption of fruit, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and nuts
4) limit the intake of sugar and salt.

9. Regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy body

10. Curbing the global obesity epidemic requires a population-based multisectoral, multi-disciplinary, and culturally relevant approach