MONTHLY MUSINGS

What type of exercise – and how much – is right for your condition?

We all know exercise is a good thing, but if you’re managing a disease, it can be trickier to find the right regimen. How much exercise?  What type?  How often?  The answers, of course, are different for everyone, and it can take time and patience if you don’t know where to look.  Why not start with patients like you?

Patients with different conditions have shared what’s worked and what hasn’t for more than 150 types of exercise.  Some common ones include walking, yoga, stretching, aquatic therapy and swimming.  How do others rate these exercises?  You can find out in the treatment evaluations.  As one member writes, “I have felt less need for pain meds, and I have slept better on the nights I walk.”

Whether you’ve found your ideal routine or are still searching, you may want to become part of an “online buddy system.”  For example, subscribe to one of the forum threads on exercise listed below in the “Join the Conversation” section.  Can’t find one for your room?  Start your own.  Let’s get moving together!

- Kate, Emma, Liz, Jeanette & Sharry

JOIN THE CONVERSATON

Check out what other patients are saying about exercise in the forum.  Then jump in with your own questions and answers.  (New members welcome anytime!)

• Hate exercise but need to do it (Mental Health Room)
• Physical therapy for MS (MS Room)
• Seizures triggered by exercise (Epilepsy Room)
• Debunking exercise myths (FM/CFS Room)
• Helpful exercises for arthritis (Inflammatory Room)
• The exercise accountability thread (MS Room)

Need help with something on the site?  Visit the Technical Help Using PatientsLikeMe Room.

THIS MONTH’S SITE IMPROVEMENTS

Thanks for your continued feedback about improving the site.  Here are our top functionality enhancements for September.

EMAIL AND NOTIFICATION UPGRADES
There are so many ways to stay connected at PatientsLikeMe - which can be a blessing and a curse sometimes. Recently, we made some major changes to our email and notification system. In addition to fixing bugs, we've made it easier for you to turn email notifications on/off with the click of a mouse. We've also improved the unsubscribe process.  Visit your Email Settings page to update your preferences.

HIDDEN FORUM TOPICS
Wish you could avoid certain forum threads?  Consider it done with our new “Hide Topic” button (pictured below).  They’re not gone forever if you change your mind, however.  Simply go to the “My Hidden Topics” page to find them. 

AUTOMATIC LOGIN VIA VERIFIED EMAIL
If you’re tired of having to log in when you click a link in a PatientsLikeMe email – such as this monthly newsletter – you’re going to love hearing that you can now log in automatically via verified email.  To turn on this time-saving feature, go to your Account Settings page and select “Yes” as shown below. 

NEW OUTCOME SCORE FOR AUTISM
Finally, we’ve introduced a new outcome score for patients with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) called the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC).   You’ll see that the ATEC score is now displayed in the “puzzle piece” icon in all ASD patient nuggets, as illustrated below.