You've heard this time and again - exercise improves quality of life. But, is there scientific evidence to prove this assertion? In the February 9, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers report that, in post-menopausal women, exercise-induced improvements in quality of life increase with amount of exercise .

Researchers from Louisiana State University System in Baton Rouge and their colleagues studied the effect of varying amounts of physical activity on quality of life (QOL) over a 6-month period. The study participants were 430 sedentary post-menopausal women with high blood pressure who were randomly assigned to either a non-exercise group or 1 of 3 exercise groups. The women who were assigned to the exercise groups were instructed to exercise 50%, 100%, of 150% of their recommended physical activity.

The researchers found that changes in all mental and physical aspects of QOL, excluding bodily pain, were dependent on the amount of exercise performed. Higher doses of exercise were associated with bigger improvements in QOL, even if there was no change in weight. Although this study was limited to post-menopausal women, it does suggest that weight loss is not the only benefit of exercise.

Source

Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:269-278.