Month: February 2025

2025-02-24T08:01:00

(BPT) – Each year on the last day of February, people living with rare diseases—along with caregivers, healthcare professionals, advocacy groups, and others—come together to drive meaningful change and push for equitable care on Rare Disease Day.

With nearly 300 million people worldwide affected by rare diseases, this global movement amplifies the voices of those living with diseases that often go unrecognized. The European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) founded Rare Disease Day in 2008, choosing February 29—a rare calendar date—to symbolize the nature of these diseases. Since then, EURORDIS, in collaboration with over 65 global organizations, has worked tirelessly to raise awareness, foster community, and advocate for better resources.

For the estimated 77,000 to 115,000 people in the U.S. living with hypoparathyroidism (hypopara), Rare Disease Day is an opportunity to shine a light on this often-misunderstood disease and the need for improved awareness, diagnosis, and treatment—including an available FDA-approved treatment option that directly addresses the disease’s root cause.

What is Hypopara?

Hypopara is a rare endocrine disease caused by insufficient levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH)—a key hormone that regulates calcium and phosphate levels in the bone, kidney, and intestine. Without enough PTH, the body struggles to maintain normal calcium balance, leading to symptoms like muscle cramps, tingling, brain fog, fatigue, and even seizures.

Approximately 75% of chronic hypopara cases occur due to accidental damage to or removal of the parathyroid glands during neck surgery, such as a thyroidectomy, while other causes stem from genetic and/or autoimmune conditions, or secondary or unknown causes.

Despite knowledge of what causes hypopara, it remains both underdiagnosed and undertreated, largely due to a lack of awareness among healthcare providers—and, until recently, lack of reliably available PTH-based therapies.

Challenges of Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosing hypopara can be challenging because its symptoms often overlap with other common medical conditions. For example, postsurgical patients may not show symptoms immediately, and the disease may only be detected during routine checkups or when healthcare providers investigate concerns like fatigue or muscle aches. Since these symptoms are nonspecific, hypopara can often be overlooked.

Historically, treatment options have been limited. For years, patients have been prescribed conventional therapy, which consists of active vitamin D and calcium, to manage some symptoms. However, conventional therapy does not address the missing PTH and may result in a high pill burden for patients.

FDA-Approved Treatment

YORVIPATH^® is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for hypopara in adults in the U.S. YORVIPATH is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with low parathyroid hormone (PTH). This ready-to-use, once-daily injection provides continuous exposure to active PTH throughout the 24-hour dosing period.

The safety and effectiveness of YORVIPATH have not been established in individuals recently diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism following surgery or those with low calcium levels at the start of treatment. Additionally, its use is not recommended in children or young adults with developing bones. YORVIPATH may lead to high or low calcium levels in the blood or possible bone cancer. For more detailed safety information, please refer to the end of this article.

Unlike conventional therapy that relies on high doses of calcium and active vitamin D, YORVIPATH directly addresses the root cause of the disease. The goal of treatment with YORVIPATH is to maintain serum calcium levels in the normal range without the need for active vitamin D or therapeutic calcium doses. However, patients can continue taking calcium supplements as needed to meet their daily dietary requirements.

Community and Advocacy

To assist patients in starting and continuing treatment, the Ascendis Signature Access Program^® (A•S•A•P) offers patient support with treatment initiation, insurance issues, and ongoing adherence. This program provides services to eligible patients prescribed YORVIPATH for its approved indication.

For those living with hypopara, connecting with advocacy organizations and patient support groups can offer community as well as essential resources and education. Organizations like the HypoPARAthyroidism Association help build this community and are dedicated to empowering patients through education, advocacy, and support.

This Rare Disease Day, raising awareness about hypopara is crucial to improving early diagnosis, expanding treatment awareness, and enhancing support for those affected. By fostering greater understanding and advocacy, we can drive meaningful change and improve lives.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND USE

What is the most important information I should know about YORVIPATH^®?

YORVIPATH may cause serious side effects, including:

• High levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia). YORVIPATH can cause some people to have higher blood calcium levels than normal. Your healthcare provider should check your blood calcium before you start and during your treatment with YORVIPATH. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have nausea, vomiting, dizziness, feeling thirsty, confusion, muscle weakness, or irregular heartbeat. Hypercalcemia is more likely to occur within the first 3 months of starting YORVIPATH, but it may occur at any time.

• Low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia). People who stop using, miss, or change a dose of YORVIPATH may have an increased risk of low blood calcium levels, but hypocalcemia may occur at any time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have tingling in your fingertips, toes, lips or tongue, muscle spasms or cramps, oral numbness, depression, have problems thinking or remembering, abnormal heart rhythms, or seizures.

• Possible bone cancer (osteosarcoma). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have pain in any areas of your body that does not go away or any new or unusual lumps or swelling under your skin that is tender to touch. These are some of the signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma and your healthcare provider may need to do further tests.

Who should not take YORVIPATH?

Do not use YORVIPATH if you are allergic to palopegteriparatide or any of the other ingredients in YORVIPATH.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking YORVIPATH?

Before using YORVIPATH, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• are at higher risk of a type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma. This is especially important:
  • if you have a bone disease that increases your risk of developing osteosarcoma (including if you have Paget’s disease).
  • if a blood test shows that you have unexplained increases in bone alkaline phosphatase.
  • if you have cancer of the bones or other cancer that has spread to your bones.
  • if you are having or have had radiation therapy to the skeleton.
  • if you are affected with a condition that runs in your family that can increase your chance of getting cancer in your bones.

• take medicines that contain digoxin, are used to treat osteoporosis, or can affect calcium levels in your blood.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if YORVIPATH will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during treatment with YORVIPATH.

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if YORVIPATH passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with YORVIPATH.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. YORVIPATH and other medicines may affect each other causing side effects.

What are the possible side effects of YORVIPATH?

YORVIPATH may cause serious side effects:

• Allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction, including anaphylaxis. Stop taking YORVIPATH and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency medical help right away if you have swelling of your face, lips, mouth, or tongue, breathing problems, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure), fast heartbeat, itching, rash, or hives.

• Decrease in blood pressure when you change positions (orthostatic hypotension). Some people may feel dizzy, get a fast heartbeat, or feel light-headed right after injecting YORVIPATH. For the first few doses, give your injection of YORVIPATH in a place where you can sit or lie down right away if you get these symptoms. If your symptoms get worse or do not go away, contact your healthcare provider before you continue using YORVIPATH.

• Digoxin toxicity if you are using digoxin and YORVIPATH at the same time. Tell your healthcare provider if you experience irregular heart rhythm, heart palpitations, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or vision problems.

The most common side effects of YORVIPATH include injection site reactions, vasodilatory signs or symptoms such as a drop in blood pressure or lightheadedness when standing up, headache, diarrhea, back pain, high calcium levels, and sore throat.

These are not all of the possible side effects of YORVIPATH. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report side effects to FDA?www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Ascendis Pharma at 1-844-442-7236.

What is YORVIPATH used for?

YORVIPATH is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with low parathyroid hormone (PTH) (hypoparathyroidism).

• It is not known if YORVIPATH is safe and effective in people who have been recently diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism after surgery, or if it is started in people with low levels of calcium in the blood.

• It is not known if YORVIPATH is safe and effective in children.

• YORVIPATH should not be used in children and young adults whose bones are still growing.

Please click here for full Prescribing Information for YORVIPATH and Medication Guide.

For more information about YORVIPATH, please visit www.yorvipath.com or call +1 844-442-7236.

2025-02-21T08:31:00

(BPT) – Imagine you haven’t slept in 72 hours and every step you take feels like you’re walking through wet cement. Then imagine you experience this feeling every day. This is how excessive daytime sleepiness can feel for people living with narcolepsy, a rare neurological disorder that can affect all aspects of a person’s daily life. Approximately 170,000 people in the United States are thought to be living with narcolepsy.

All people living with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness, which means they struggle to stay awake and alert during the day, or they constantly feel sleepy. This can impact their daily lives at work or at home in many ways. They may have trouble staying awake while being sedentary or inactive, such as during meetings or while reading. Some may also experience difficulty with memory, concentration, and attention due to excessive daytime sleepiness. Their sleepiness may affect interactions and relationships with family and friends. Excessive daytime sleepiness can be mistaken for symptoms of other disorders, making a narcolepsy diagnosis challenging.

Many people living with narcolepsy struggle with symptoms for years before getting the right diagnosis, often taking 8 to 15 years. For Lindsay and Matt, it was no different.

The road to a diagnosis

Lindsay was just 16 years old when she began experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness. “When I go back through my memory, some days are perfectly clear. Then there are other days, months, seasons, and even years that feel like looking through a diary with blank pages. That reflects how sleepy I was at that time,” Lindsay described. “I was going through life feeling like I was moving underneath a weighted blanket.”

For nearly two decades, Lindsay pursued an explanation for her excessive daytime sleepiness with different healthcare providers, but to no avail. It wasn’t until she was 35 years old that she found a sleep specialist and was ultimately diagnosed with narcolepsy.

Matt’s excessive daytime sleepiness became very disruptive when he was 12 years old, long before his diagnosis of narcolepsy. He tried to sneak in what he called “mini-sleeps,” or 15-minute naps, whenever possible to make it through the different activities in his day, often taking two such naps between waking up in the morning and arriving at school. “I would find myself waking up, taking a shower, eating breakfast, taking a nap on the couch. Going to school, while my mom drove, I would be taking a nap,” Matt recalled. His sleepiness led to feelings of depression, which impacted his life and may have delayed his eventual diagnosis of narcolepsy.

By the time he was in his mid-twenties, Matt had seen various healthcare providers but still had no answers. Then he found a sleep specialist. “I went into his office, and he gave me a very exhaustive questionnaire. It asked questions about clumsiness and about slumping over — things that I thought were actually normal,” he said. After hearing Matt’s history, how he was feeling, and evaluating his sleep study results, the sleep specialist diagnosed Matt with narcolepsy with cataplexy. Cataplexy is the sudden and brief loss of muscle strength often brought on by strong emotions or certain situations.

“When assessing someone for narcolepsy, healthcare providers often use questionnaires such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (commonly called ESS) along with a diagnostic test such as the MSLT (Multiple Sleep Latency Test) to aid in their diagnosis,” explained, Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, MD, a board-certified neurologist and sleep specialist at New York University Langone Medical Center. “While sleep tests are an important part of confirming a diagnosis, it is important for me to ask how sleepiness impacts someone’s daily life. Questions like, what are some things you would like to be doing that you can’t do because of your excessive daytime sleepiness?”

The impact of a narcolepsy diagnosis

Receiving an official diagnosis can bring a sense of relief since it provides validation and an official name for what people are experiencing, but it’s just the first step to living with narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a lifelong disorder and is often portrayed inaccurately in the media. This can add to the burden and stigma people living with narcolepsy often feel because others often aren’t familiar with the disorder or only know what they’ve seen portrayed in the media.

Matt found comfort in his diagnosis and was open about his disorder with others, but he struggled to find information about what he was experiencing. When he was diagnosed in 2007 at age 25, there wasn’t a lot of support and resources available, so he did his own research through university websites and textbooks. Matt had trouble understanding his diagnosis because the excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy he’d experienced differed from the way narcolepsy was shown in the media. “I was trying to project my own experiences onto what I was seeing, and that wasn’t what the reality was,” he shared.

For Lindsay, receiving a narcolepsy diagnosis made her feel grief for who she once was. “When I first got diagnosed, I really did not want anybody to know,” Lindsay recounted. “I did not talk about it, which is very counter to who I am. The idea of people knowing that I had narcolepsy felt really scary to me.”

The importance of sharing lived experiences and community support

Connecting with the narcolepsy community helped give Lindsay a new perspective on living with her disorder. “Getting involved was an opportunity to not just be surrounded by other people living with narcolepsy, but to be surrounded by people with narcolepsy who were using their voices to make positive change,” Lindsay said. Now, Lindsay regularly writes and speaks publicly about her diagnosis and sleep health to help others on their journey.

Matt also found inspiration within the community. Recalling the lack of resources available to him after diagnosis, he wanted to share his story, his lived experience to help raise awareness for others. On social media and other online platforms, he was able to support others in the narcolepsy community and feel more supported himself.

“Getting the right diagnosis is just the first step in a person living with narcolepsy’s journey. Even though life after diagnosis can be challenging, the right resources, support system, and the narcolepsy community are there to help,” shared Dr. Rodriguez. “Organizations like Narcolepsy Network, Project Sleep, and Wake Up Narcolepsy host events, offer programs and have different ways for people living with narcolepsy to connect with each other, share experiences, and help to drive broader awareness,” he said. “Access to resources can help people with narcolepsy stay informed and feel supported in their journey.”

In addition to these organizations, Know Narcolepsy is another resource. Visit KnowNarcolepsy.com to learn more.

Harmony Biosciences and logo are trademarks of Harmony Biosciences Management, Inc. and are used herein by permission.
© 2025 Harmony Biosciences. All rights reserved.
US-NAR-2400154/Feb 2025

2025-02-21T08:01:00

(BPT) – After overcoming multiple health challenges, Kasey was eager to embrace a new chapter in her life with her husband and young children, filled with hope and excitement. Having celebrated four years of sobriety from injection drug use at the time, she was passionate about working with other women in her community to help them achieve the same. When her own health-related concerns led her to a doctor’s visit, her doctor asked Kasey about other areas of her health, including her hepatitis C (HCV) status.

HCV is a viral infection that attacks the liver and is spread through blood-to-blood contact, which is why people who inject drugs are more likely to acquire the condition.¹ “My doctor explained to me that HCV testing is not part of a routine check-up and needs to be requested, and I realized that I was never tested for the condition in previous wellness check-ups or during my pregnancies,” Kasey recounts.

After testing, Kasey’s doctor delivered the news that she was living with HCV. “The result was not surprising to me, but it brought a lot of shame and guilt around wishing I had known to get tested for HCV earlier. I was nervous, sad and scared, not only for myself, but for my partner and kids who would need to be tested as well,” Kasey explains.

HCV is often spread through injection drug use, and as such, the opioid epidemic has exacerbated transmission rates over the past decade.² Data show that this has led to a resurgence of new cases as injection drug use accounts for a majority (approximately 70%) of new HCV cases.³

Kasey’s experience is more common than you’d think. Coined the ‘silent disease,’ HCV symptoms can go unnoticed, and if left untreated, can progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.^1,4 Of the nearly 4 million people living with HCV in the U.S., an estimated 40% are unaware they have it.⁵

Getting tested is the only way to know if someone is living with HCV and is the first step toward curing their disease.⁶ In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults are tested at least once in their life and encourages more regular testing for individuals who meet additional criteria, such as a history of injection drug use.⁷

The good news is that curative options are available. With guidance from her doctor, Kasey started treatment with the direct acting antiviral (DAA), EPCLUSA^® (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir) 400mg/100mg, a prescription medicine to treat adults with chronic HCV genotype 1-6 infection with or without cirrhosis (compensated). She was also happy to learn that there was an average cure rate of 98% in clinical studies*, and that her treatment only required one pill a day for 12 weeks. EPCLUSA can also be taken during addiction recovery and with other common medications.⁸

“As a mother, I was worried treatment would interrupt my daily life, but the once-daily pill was easy for me,” Kasey says. “I developed my own, unique system to track my pills, so I didn’t forget to take my medication.” Throughout Kasey’s HCV treatment, she experienced side effects like nausea and fatigue.⁹ Three months after completing treatment, she received the news that the virus was undetectable in her latest blood test and that she was cured of HCV.

A lack of knowledge of the disease, fear of side effects from medication and the potential of stigma for seeking treatment may further prevent people from getting tested.¹⁰ Additionally, advances in medicine are further undermined by complex factors like the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, which have limited access to care for many.^{11, 12} To date, acute HCV cases in the U.S. have doubled in the past ten years, with 70% of those acute cases becoming chronic HCV.¹

Vulnerable populations, like people who inject drugs, often experience gaps in care or may not be prioritized for treatment.¹³ However, there is strong evidence to support that treating these individuals may be critical in achieving HCV elimination efforts, emphasizing the importance of expanding screening and treatment public health initiatives.¹⁴ On average, each person who injects drugs and is living with HCV is likely to transmit the disease to about 20 others.¹⁵ As such, curing HCV in one individual who injects drugs may therefore help reduce further transmission. “I knew that seeking a cure was the best choice for me and my family. There will always be good and bad days, but it is important to focus on the positives as a way to move forward,” Kasey states.

Following her own HCV and addiction recovery story, Kasey understands firsthand how stigma can often make it harder to seek out help and support. “While everyone’s experience is unique, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to face this journey by yourself,” Kasey remarks. Approaching HCV treatment holistically with the help of doctors, community organizers and public health officials can help people get on the path to cure. “At a minimum, I hope sharing my personal experience helps people feel empowered to get tested.”

Today, Kasey is nearly seven years sober, working with women in the addiction recovery community, and applying to masters programs to expand her substance use counseling credentials. “I’m now back living in the town [where] I was in active addiction, so it’s motivation to continue being the healthiest version of myself and encouraging others in the community to do the same,” she says proudly.

“Going through my own recovery and liver health journey, I want to inspire others who may be experiencing something similar,” Kasey adds. Her advice for others who are undergoing HCV treatment or think they should get tested? “No one has to ever feel alone in HCV. There is a supportive community of safety and love for people across the spectrum of care, including those who may be at risk for HCV, are undergoing treatment, or are in recovery, offering a space of understanding and empowerment for everyone in their journey.”

Learn more at www.epclusa.com or talk to your healthcare provider to see if EPCLUSA may be right for you or a loved one.

*98% cure rate is an average from studies of genotype 1-6 patients without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis

Please see Important Facts about EPCLUSA including Important Warnings for hepatitis B reactivation.

What is EPCLUSA?

EPCLUSA is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with chronic (lasting a long time) hepatitis C (Hep C) genotype 1-6 infection with or without cirrhosis (compensated).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about EPCLUSA?

EPCLUSA can cause serious side effects, including:

• Hepatitis B virus reactivation: Before starting EPCLUSA treatment, your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check for hepatitis B infection. If you have ever had hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus could become active again during and after treatment with EPCLUSA. This may cause serious liver problems including liver failure and death. If you are at risk, your healthcare provider will monitor you during and after taking EPCLUSA.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking EPCLUSA?

• Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have ever had hepatitis B infection, liver problems other than hepatitis C infection, or a liver transplant; if you have kidney problems or are on dialysis; if you have HIV; or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant or breastfeed. It is not known if EPCLUSA will harm your unborn baby or pass into your breast milk.
• Tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. EPCLUSA and certain other medicines may affect each other, or may cause side effects.

What are the possible side effects of EPCLUSA?

Serious side effects may also include:

• Slow heart rate (bradycardia): EPCLUSA, when taken with amiodarone (Cordarone^®, Nexterone^®, Pacerone^®), a medicine used to treat certain heart problems, may cause slow heart rate. In some cases slow heart rate has led to death or the need for a pacemaker when amiodarone is taken with medicines containing sofosbuvir. Get medical help right away if you take amiodarone with EPCLUSA and get any of the following symptoms: fainting or near-fainting, dizziness or lightheadedness, not feeling well, weakness, extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pains, confusion, or memory problems.
• The most common side effects of EPCLUSA in adults include headache and tiredness.

These are not all the possible side effects of EPCLUSA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescriptions drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about EPCLUSA including Important Warnings.

A message from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

EPCLUSA and GILEAD are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. or its related companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

©2025 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-EPCC-0271 02/25

References

1. CDC. Hepatitis C Surveillance 2022. April 2024. (2022 Hepatitis C | Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report | CDC)
2. Mateu-Gelabert P, Sabounchi NS, Guarino H, et al. Hepatitis C virus risk among young people who inject drugs. Front Public Health. 2022;10:835836. Published 2022 Jul 29. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.835836
3. Key Populations: Identification and management of HCV in people who inject drugs | HCV Guidance (n.d.). (https://www.hcvguidelines.org/unique-populations/pwid)
4. CDC. Transcript: Hepatitis C Briefing. Jun 2023. (https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/t0629-hepc-briefing.html)
5. CDC. New CDC Data Reveal Less Than a Third of People Diagnosed with Hepatitis C Receive Timely Treatment for the Deadly, yet Curable, Infection. Aug 2022. (https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/releases/2022/2022-Hep-C-Vital-Signs.html)
6. CDC. Viral Hepatitis Basics. Jul 2024 (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/about/index.html)
7. CDC. Clinical Screening and Diagnosis for Hepatitis C. Dec 2023. (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-c/hcp/diagnosis-testing/index.html)
8. EPCLUSA [prescribing information]. Foster City, CA: Gilead Sciences, Inc; April 2022
9. Hayes KN, Burkard T, Weiler S, Tadrous M, Burden AM. Global adverse events reported for direct-acting antiviral therapies for the treatment of hepatitis C: an analysis of the World Health Organization VigiBase. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;33(1S Suppl 1):e1017-e1021. doi:10.1097/MEG.0000000000002173
10. McGowan CE, Fried MW. Barriers to hepatitis C treatment. Liver Int. 2012;32 Suppl 1(0 1):151-156. doi:10.1111/j.1478-3231.2011.02706.x
11. Perlman DC, Jordan AE. The Syndemic of Opioid Misuse, Overdose, HCV, and HIV: Structural-Level Causes and Interventions. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2018;15(2):96-112. doi:10.1007/s11904-018-0390-3
12. CDC. National Profile of Viral Hepatitis. Aug 2022. (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/introduction/national-profile.htm)
13. Arain A, Robaeys G. Eligibility of persons who inject drugs for treatment of hepatitis C virus infection. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(36):12722-12733. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.12722
14. Day E, Hellard M, Treloar C, et al. Hepatitis C elimination among people who inject drugs: Challenges and recommendations for action within a health systems framework. Liver Int. 2019;39(1):20-30. doi:10.1111/liv.13949
15. NIH. Viral Hepatitis. (https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/viral-hepatitis)

2025-02-19T09:01:00

(BPT) – Is strength training a regular part of your gym workout? If not, it’s time to add a few sets in to your fitness routine.

Cardio is great, but it’s better when paired with strength training. Each type of exercise has its own role to play. Cardio — as the name implies — supports your cardiovascular health and can improve your endurance and lung capacity. Strength training helps you build muscle mass, which plays a significant part in maintaining your overall health and wellness.

Why is building muscle important?

As you age, you naturally lose lean muscle mass. Regular strength training can help you gain and maintain lean muscle mass, which can also help improve your balance.

According to the Mayo Clinic, strength training is a key component of overall health and fitness and can help you:

• Develop strong bones
• Manage weight
• Improve your quality of life
• Manage chronic conditions
• Enhance your thinking skills

Strength training can also help you meet your fitness goals more efficiently than cardio alone.

If you’re new to strength training, it can be intimidating to start. A good goal is to aim for 2-3 days of strength training workouts per week in a comfortable environment. Below, you’ll find three strength machine exercises that can help you get started on your journey of getting stronger.

1. Supine bench press

A supine bench press can be used to work your chest, shoulders and triceps using a natural, strength-building motion.

To perform this exercise on a machine, lie on your back on the bench with your feet flat on the ground. Add your choice of weighted plates, starting small, and grip the handles to raise the weight over your chest. Keep your arms slightly wider than your shoulders. Lower the machine to your chest, elbows out, pause for a moment, and then press them back up.

2. Hack squats

Squats help strengthen your body’s base and improve your stability and posture. When you do squats, you’re targeting your quads and glutes, providing a complete lower body workout.

A variation on the traditional squat is a hack squat. A hack squat is performed on a special piece of equipment that may remind you of a reverse leg press machine.

Performing a hack squat is fairly simple. Stand in the hack squat machine with your feet on the platform, about shoulder width apart, and rest your shoulders and hips on the back rest. Grab the handlebars, inhale, and bend your knees until you’re parallel to the ground. Then, exhale and press through your feet to straighten your legs and stand.

3. Seated calf raises

How often do you think about your calf strength? Every day, your calves help you walk, run, jump and perform other daily activities. Strong calves also support your ankles, improving stability. The perfect exercise to target your calves (and also work out your hamstrings!) is a seated calf raise.

Using a plate-loaded seated calf machine, make sure you’re seated with your feet positioned slightly narrower than your hips. With a comfortable amount of weighted plates, press through your toes and lift your heels. You should feel your calf muscles squeeze. Hold for a moment, then slowly relax down. Remember to keep your knees aligned.

One place with all the equipment you need

One surefire way to safely and easily perform these three strength training exercises and more is to join a gym that has all the right equipment in a supporting community.

For example, Planet Fitness is dedicated to providing its members with best-in-class strength (and cardio) equipment. Industry trends have continued to show consumers looking for more strength equipment. To meet these demands, Planet Fitness is offering new plate-loaded equipment including Magnum Supine Bench Presses, Magnum Hack Squats and Seated Calf machines. The equipment is now in 1,700 clubs and expected to be available in nearly all clubs by the end of 2025.

New members can sign up for a high value membership with thousands of convenient locations (many open 24 hours) starting at $15 a month. To learn more and find a gym near you, visit PlanetFitness.com.