I Leave Baring Gifts: Resources

"Give a Man a Fish and You Can Feed Him for a Day, Teach a Man to Fish and You Feed Him for a Lifetime."

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So far we've discussed the meaning of osteoporosis, questions to ask your doctor about the condition, and how to tailor a diet and exercise routine for management. Now we will establish go-to resources to visit when you are in need of additional information. This being my final blog post, I am leaving you with a resource to maintain or enhance each component of health: physical, mental, spiritual, social, emotional, and environmental. This post will provide you with websites for information on a healthy lifestyle and osteoporosis-specific resources, and explain how to determine the credibility of a website.

How Do I Know If a Website Is Credible?
Many people now use the Internet to access health information and with that, it has never been more important than now to have the ability to determine a site's credibility.

Here are six indicators of credibility:

• Author- information with a listed author is one indicator of a credible website. The fact that an individual is willing to stand behind the information suggests it is reliable.
• Date- dates indicate whether or not the information is recent enough to be considered accurate and relevant. Generally speaking, if it has not been updated or published within the last five years, you may want to consider other websites. 
• Sources- credible sites should site the sources they used to retrieve the information presented. 
• Domain- websites ending in .com, .net, or .org can be purchased by any individual. The domains .edu and .gov however, indicate the website is either sponsored by an educational institution or the government and therefore, is likely credible. 
• Site design- not to be weighed too heavily, but a well-designed site is often an indicator of credibility. 
• Writing quality- if there are punctuation, grammatical, or spelling errors, that may be an indication that the site is not resourceful. 

This should not be used as a checklist, but rather as a guide in determining the credibility of resources. Failing to meet one or more of the conditions above does not necessarily mean that the website isn't resourceful.

Resources to Improve Your Overall Health Status

1. Physical Health Resources

Nutrition website #1: Nutrition.gov
Nutrition website #2: Choose MyPlate

Exercise website #1: WebMD
Exercise website #2: MedlinePlus


2. Mental Health Resources 

Website #1: Mental Health America

Website #2: NEA Health Information Network

3. Spiritual Health Resources

Website #1: Illinois State University

Website #2: Towson University

4. Social Health Resources 

Website #1: University of California

Website #2: 123 Feel Better

5. Emotional Health Resources 

Website #1: HelpGuide.org

Website #2: Everyday Health

6. Environmental Health Resources 

Website #1: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Website #2: HealthyPeople.gov

7. Osteoporosis-specific Resources

Website #1: National Osteoporosis Foundation

Website #2: WebMD

Don't Forget About the Bigger Picture

While it is important to learn about osteoporosis, you also need to understand the dimensions of health that the condition may affect, other than the physically obvious. Improving your health status generally, will help with osteoporosis-related symptoms. Attend to your condition, but do not disregard your overall health status.

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If you have any questions or concerns about the content of this post, please leave a comment below. Finally, I wish you all the best of luck in managing your condition and hope you will support one another in your journeys. 

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Show Me Your Muscles: Osteoporosis Exercises

It's Never Too Late to Start Exercising! 

Why Do I Need to Exercise?

Exercise is important for healthy and strong bones, especially for those struggling with osteoporosis. No matter what your past and current relationship with exercise looks like, it's never too late to begin an exercise program for bone maintenance.

Let's begin by discrediting a widespread myth: exercise increases one's risk of bone injury. That is false; a well-designed exercise program can help prevent falls and therefore, potential fractures. Exercising comes with a decreased risk of injury because it strengthens bones and muscles, and improves balance, coordination, and flexibility.

What Types of Exercises Should I Do?
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the best exercises for building and maintaining bone density are:

1. Weight bearing exercises such as walking, that make you fight gravity to stand upright (as illustrated in the picture below)

2. Muscle strengthening exercises such as weight lifting, that push you to again work against gravity while sitting or standing (as illustrated in the picture below)

3. Nonimpact activities, such as balance and posture exercises (as seen in the picture below)

How Do I Know If an Exercise Is Safe for Me? 

Unfortunately, there is no single exercise program that meets the needs of all osteoporosis patients. Experts agree that supervised weight-bearing exercise and strength training is safe and effective. Before beginning any exercise program however, it is important that you speak with your doctor to evaluate specifically, what exercises are safe for you. Your doctor should assess your:

• Risk of fracture
• Muscle strength
• Range of motion
• Level of physical activity
• Fitness level
• Balance 
• Gait, or manner of walking
• Other conditions that may affect your ability to exercise such as obesity or high blood pressure 

The safest route to stay in the clear of injuries is to begin an exercise regimen of low-impact, weight-bearing exercises such as an elliptical or stair-step machine. You can begin your routine with 30 minutes of exercise per day on most days of the week, while gradually increasing your time and level of intensity.

Now that you know the benefits of exercise and types of exercise to consider, it is time for you to meet with your doctor for a medical evaluation. Your doctor can tailor a program perfect for you and your bones. Happy exercising!

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As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the content of this post, please feel free to leave a comment below. Additionally, if you have already started an exercise regimen and would like to offer advice to other readers, tell us in a comment.