The majority of women during the menopausal period have great hormonal changes that affect both somatic and mental aspects. In modern life, regular exercise has become a necessity and recently is considered as a new alternative method to improve post menopausal symptoms. Aims: The trial intends to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercises on depression and insomnia in post menopausal Egyptian females.

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Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the effect of aerobic exercise versus diet rich in tryptophan on post-menopausal depression. Methods: Twenty two post-menopausal women participated in this study. They complained from mild to moderate depression (diagnosed according to Beck depression inventory). They were chosen from outpatient clinic of faculty of physical therapy Cairo University. Their ages were ranged from 55 to 65 years old. They were divided randomly into two groups equal in number, group (A) was treated by aerobic exercise 40 min 3 times/ week for 4 weeks while group (B) was treated by diet rich in tryptophan for 4weeks. Depression was evaluated by the Beck depression inventory before and after the program for both groups. Results: The obtained results showed a statistically significant decrease (P<0.05) in depression in both groups, when both groups were compared together, a statistically significant decrease (P<0.05) in depression was found in group (A) than group(B). Conclusion: It could be concluded that aerobic exercise and diet rich in tryptophan were effective adjunct methods in reducing postmenopausal depression but aerobic exercise is more effective than diet rich in tryptophan.