Menopause symptoms are eased by regular exercise

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Yoga and walking are found to improve women's symptoms and quality of life during the menopause.
Menopause can be linked with symptoms such as depression and hot flashes which can seriously impair quality of life. In a new study, researchers at Penn State University report upon how exercise can help.

A group of 164 sedentary women going through the menopause were assigned to either a walking program, a yoga program or acted as controls doing no additional exercise for four months. Those who walked or took yoga classes reported better quality of life and fewer symptoms than the controls. Walking is aerobic, yoga is not. Both improved quality of life, but improvement in symptoms appeared to be linked with increases in cardiorespiratory fitness. The findings suggest that walking, yoga - or both - are very useful activities for women to incorporate into their lives as they approach the menopause.

Source
Annals of Behavioral Medicine April 2007

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