The Exercise-Challenged: Julie Hunter, 34
Part-time Spanish instructor at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland | Abingdon, Maryland | married; no children

The Expert: Melanie Webb, personal trainer at Sports Club L.A. in Washington, D.C.

Fall 2005: “I lead a fairly sedentary life. My job doesn’t require much movement or physical activity, and I never loved sports or exercise, though I do play a bit of tennis. I have plenty of spare time, if I can just get motivated to use it. I’m still thin, but I’m pudgy around the middle. I have lower-back pain and neck aches and seem to be yawning all the time. We have a treadmill, but I scarcely use it. There’s a history of heart disease and type 2 diabetes in my family, and my husband and I are trying to start a family, so it’s important to me that I get in shape.”

Hunter’s goal: “To increase my energy level, eliminate aches and pains, and improve my stamina and muscle strength.”

What the journal revealed: Hunter spends the majority of her workday sitting at a computer or standing in a classroom. Most evenings she and her husband sit on the couch chatting or watching TV. On workdays she takes an average of 3,300 steps. On her days off, she logs in only around 2,900. “I feel like a sloth!” Hunter said after reviewing the journal. “I hadn’t been aware of how much time I spend on the computer. No wonder my neck and back ache.”