Short‐Term Exercise Approaches on Menopausal Symptoms, Psychological Health, and Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Objective. This study was designed to determine the effects of different short-term exercise programs on menopausal symptoms, psychological health, and quality of life in postmenopausal women. Material and Methods. Forty-two women were chosen from volunteering postmenopausal women presenting to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Bayındır Hospital between March and December 2009. The women aged 45–60 years and experiencing menopause naturally were included in the study. They were randomly divided into aerobic (n = 18) and resistance (n = 18) exercise groups. The women exercised 3 days per week for 8 weeks under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Aerobic exercise training was performed through a bicycle ergometer. Before and after the training, lipid profiles were measured and menopausal symptoms, psychological health, depression, and the quality of life were assessed through questionnaires. Results. In both exercise groups, no significant changes in lipid profiles were observed. In the resistance exercise group, excluding the urogenital complaints, there were significant improvements in all subscales of Menopausal Rating Scale (MRS). In the resistance exercise group, excluding the phobic anxiety, there were significant improvements in all subscales of The Symptom Checklist. Depression levels significantly decreased in both groups. Improvements were observed in all subscales of menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire in both groups except for sexual symptoms. Conclusion. Resistance exercise and aerobic exercise were found to have a positive impact on menopausal symptoms, psychological health, depression, and quality of life.

To exercise, or, not to exercise, during menopause and beyond

“…Likewise, 3 classes per week, of Bikram yoga improves glucose tolerance in older obese subjects [25], and resistance exercise significantly decreased triglyceride values [26].…”

“…It is clear that there are many benefits of exercise on bone [33], cardiovascular, metabolic [34,35], diabetes [36], cancer, longevity [37], psychological well being [38,39] and overall quality of life [26]. Hence, it is appropriate for women to be physically active throughout the menopausal transition and afterwards.…”

“…Providing mental distraction and social interaction [26,56] are some of the explanations provided for the psychological benefits associated with exercise participation.…”

Comparison of the Effects of Licorice and Aerobic Exercise on the Quality of Life of Postmenopausal Women

“…Menopausal symptoms can also be alleviated by behavioral approaches, such as participation in aerobic and anaerobic exercises [14], which can treat hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, and depression [15] and improve sexual desire and physical strength [16]. Performing regular aerobic exercises can improve blood pressure and thus reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women, in addition to controlling weight and reducing osteoporosis [17].…”

Physical Activity and Psychological Symptoms of Menopause

“…A menopausa é um processo de adaptação pelo qual a mulher passa para um novo estado biológico (Agil, Abike, Daskapan, Alaca, & Tuzun, 2010). Este processo se refere ao término da atividade folicular do ovário e isso se manifesta pela interrupção do ciclo menstrual por pelo menos 12 meses ( Elavsky & McAuley, 2009 ) .…”