Yoga helps soothe menopausal woes

Physical activities like yoga is found to reduce negative effects of menopause in women.

A new research has revealed that physical activity including yoga may benefit women during menopause by easing symptoms and increasing the quality of life.

“The surprising aspect of the study is the fact that we found a significant association between changes in cardio respiratory fitness and changes in menopausal symptoms,” said lead author Steriani Elavsky, Ph.D., of Penn State University.

One hundred sixty-four sedentary menopausal women were randomly assigned to a walking programme, a yoga programme or a control group that did no additional exercise for four months. The women who walked or took yoga classes reported a better quality of life and reduced negative effects of menopause compared to the no-exercise group.

The women who walked or took yoga classes reported improvements in mood and menopause-related quality of life compared to the no-exercise group. The women, whose average age was nearly 50, completed body composition and fitness assessments along with a battery of psychological tests at the beginning and end of the study, which appears in the April issue of the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Fitness improvements may directly or indirectly impact the symptoms of menopause, both mental and physical, said Amy Eyler, Ph.D., of the Saint Louis University School of Public Health. “Exercise benefits so many other body systems. It should be an integral part of these types of interventions.