Interview with Jenna Zaffino

Jenna Zaffino, one of our trained volunteers in Chicago owns a Pilates studio and has transformed her program to better help clients with osteoporosis and low bone mass.

Jenna came to American Bone Health because she had a client with osteoporosis who did not want to go on drug treatment and she wanted to better understand the disease and how Pilates could help.  Since her training, Jenna says that she has learned so much about osteoporosis and is able to have more informed conversations with her clients, saying  ”I’m now able to take better care of my clients with bone density issues in a safe manner.”

Jenna has been very active with American Bone Health once she learned how useful our information is to consumers.  She is working with her Pilates studio to create bone safe pilates workshops where they talk about exercise and nutrition.  Her next workshop is February 19th, 2012, so if you’re in the Chicago area, go out and support Jenna!  Aside from her Pilates work, Jenna is also raising awareness in Chicago.  She recently had an editorial done in the Chicago Sun-Times that claimed her studio to be one of the only “bone safe pilates studio” of Chicago.

When asked what she likes about our organization, she said that American Bone Health is very welcoming.  There were no hoops that she needed to jump through and that it is really easy to be a volunteer. She said, “The amount of professionalism is what makes the experience so valuable.”  Jenna is representative of American Bone Health in so many ways.  She not only took our information to help her clients in her own business, but is going beyond to her community.  It’s representatives like Jenna who are contributing to the prevention and ultimate end of osteoporosis. Thanks, Jenna!

What is secondary prevention of osteoporosis?

In the public health world, there are three types of prevention: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary prevention is keeping the disease of osteoporosis from getting started. The steps for primary prevention of osteoporosis are 1) getting enough calcium in your diet, 2) including vitamin D in your regime and 3) doing weight-bearing exercise.

 Secondary prevention deals with the early onset of a negative health outcome. In other words, you have the disease and want to prevent something bad from happening as a result. In the case of osteoporosis, the “bad” or negative health outcome is a fracture. Many people refer to osteoporosis as the “silent thief” because often times people are not aware that they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. Once an individual breaks a bone without significant trauma, they are at high risk for getting another fracture.  Read More…

Interview with a volunteer

Recently I talked to one of our most dedicated volunteers to understand why American
Bone Health is important to communities and how our volunteers help us fulfill
our mission.   Here’s what I learned.

Shelley was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2005, and was first introduced to American
Bone Health when she consulted a physical therapist about safe exercise.
Shelley continues to work with us because she realized that not many people
know about osteoporosis and she wanted to educate others about prevention so
that they would not have to go through what she did.  There are many
organizations that advocate for disease prevention, but American Bone Health is
unique because not many people know of the seriousness of osteoporosis and how
common it is.

American Bone Health would not be able to fulfill our mission without
volunteers. When I asked why, Shelley said, “Our representatives are the
backbone of our education efforts since they are the ones who carry the message
about osteoporosis prevention and bone health to people of all ages in their
communities.”

In my opinion, Shelley could not be more right about our volunteers.  They are
the ones who advocate osteoporosis prevention at health fairs, in hospital
affiliated programs, community talks, and in programs for children, teens, and
young adults as well.  There are many others like Shelley who are the
lifeblood of this organization, and without her and so many others, we would
not be able to reach the millions of Americans with osteoporosis.

The need to volunteer

Currently, there are 60 million people in the U.S. who volunteer
in their free time.  So if people are not getting paid, why do they do it?
Is it because they need it for a resume, they’re bored, or to meet new
people?  Maybe for some, but do you know what the #1 reason is why people
volunteer?  TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

 

This is the reason why I volunteer.  I have volunteered for
several NGOs now and I can’t stop.  It is so rewarding for me to know that
what I do makes an impact.  My fundraiser money, my time, and my efforts
are going towards a mission I truly believe in, and that is the most worthwhile
thing I think a person can do.

 

Now that I’m working for American Bone Health, I am on the other
side of the mirror.  Instead of being the volunteer, I get to see what our
volunteers are doing for us and how they are impacting the communities around
them.  I have so much respect for the volunteers who go out and do community
talks and fracture risk consultations because without them, we would never be
able to help spread awareness of osteoporosis and provide support to the older
people in our communities.  So now I encourage you to help us fulfill our
mission and prevent osteoporosis.  Volunteer once, and you will never give
it up.

The holidays!

It is finally December and the holidays are here!  I love the feeling of running through my neighborhood with all of the houses decorated and Christmas trees peeking out the front windows.  I also love the holiday music that seems to pop up everywhere from department stores to car radios.  What I love most about the holidays however is that it is a break in between sports seasons.  While I have always LOVED being a runner and thrived of the intensity of the fall cross-country, winter indoor track and then spring track, I also needed and fully appreciated the break that came right around the holidays. Read More…

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