Finding credible fitness and health information on the Internet can be difficult, but know how to decipher information and sites, plus knowing the best fitness and health websites can help. Instead of being overwhelmed with the hundreds of thousands of results that you receive from your search engine, you will be able to target good information quickly.
Become an Internet Sleuth
There are ways to figure out if the site you’re on is a reputable one. First, look at the domain name and the extension. Ever notice that most sites have ‘.com’ or ‘.org’ at the end? These actually mean something.
Below is a list of the most common domain name extensions and their meanings:
- .com stands for a commercial site. So, if you land on a .com page, that site may have an agenda beyond providing you with information, such as selling a product.
- .net stands for Internet source. Again, these sites can be excellent resources, but they can also be unreliable.
- .edu stands for university or school. These are usually reliable resources.
- .gov this stands for the government. These are also usually reliable resources.
- .org this stands for nonprofit organization. These sites are also generally reliable.
It should be noted that no one polices the above suffixes. So you can’t judge a site by whether it is a .net or a .org. There are plenty of .com sites that have incredible information. In fact, most news sites carry the .com moniker.
There are a few steps to figuring out if a site is reliable. First, look at the domain name (above). Next, search for information about the site. Who created it? What are their credentials? When was the site last updated? Is there a list of available resources you can check out? Finally, read the information carefully and see if it gels with what you already know. For example, if you know that safe weight loss happens with exercise and a healthy diet, be wary of a site that offers a magical pill guaranteeing weight loss.
Now that you have some basic tools under your belt, here are some great health and fitness websites.
Comprehensive Health and Fitness Sites
- Of course, Verywell is a great place to start whether you’re looking for information about specific exercises (like walking, running, or swimming) or general health issues.
- National Institutes of Health: Though this site is pretty dry, it covers everything you need to know about health and fitness. What makes it stand out is that it lists all the latest news and scientific discoveries, so it’s a great place to keep up with what’s new.
Fitness and Exercise
- ExRx.Net: This site is a bit more technical, but has a huge database of muscle groups and different exercises that target each muscle group.
- FitWatch: This site offers free fitness and nutrition tracking that allows you to keep track of your exercise and diet. There’s also a paid version that offers more features.
Nutrition and Weight Loss
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: This should be the first place you go for reliable nutrition information. Brush up on your food pyramid knowledge, or check out their healthy lifestyle tips.
- Nutrition at Verywell: We have some great resources for eating healthy and losing weight.
- Weight Loss at Verywell: We focus on diets and healthy eating to help you learn simple ways to cut calories and lose weight.
Medical/Health
- CDC.gov: The site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has all the latest information about diseases, conditions, illnesses, injuries, and health.
- American Heart Association: This is the official website of the AHA and covers all aspects of heart disease, stroke, and general health and fitness.
- American Medical Association: If you want information about a specific condition, illness or injury, search through this information site for a wealth of information.
Workout Apparel, Equipment, and Videos
- Title 9 Sports: This site provides quality workout clothes for women of all sizes and shapes, with a specialty in workout bras. Their service is impeccable.
- Road Runner Sports: RRS is for runners and walkers, providing reliable fitness tips and tons of quality athletic shoes, clothes and accessories.
There are many more reliable health and fitness websites out there, but these cover almost all aspects of health and fitness. Surf around and get to know what’s out there!.