Switch off that Air supply

Evening Press News Editor FRANCINE CLEE is now three months into her drive to get fit for a Himalayan trek, and gym is not always proving blissful...

Twelve minutes. On a treadmill, it can seem an eternity when you've just pushed your jogging speed up a notch and Donna Air is on MTV. It's bad enough just watching her fidget as you sweat off your 136 calories.

But get yourself a cardio-theatre headset (all right, some Britannia Airlines earphones) and horrors! You can hear her, too.

Does anyone watch her for pleasure, you wonder as you plod miserably on.

Apparently they do; a constant stream of truanting teens queue up for her to ask them why they aren't at school.

They never have to confess they're bunking off, though, because Donna doesn't wait to hear their answer.

She's too busy demanding to know whether they want S Club 7 or Westlife to be played next.

If you weren't so busy jogging, you could switch over to that nice Richard Whiteley; but just as you are about to think she'll never shut up, Donna starts the video, announcing that - hurray ! she's leaving. You're so relieved, the last three minutes fairly fly by.

Yes, gym isn't always a laugh a minute - but I for one certainly cheer up when I see it's having some effect.

I've lost another four pounds, despite skipping a few sessions due to illness.

People who aren't trying to touch me for a fiver have told me they can tell that I've lost weight.

I've even worn The Trousers of No Mercy for the first time in months... although I nearly died in the attempt.