Evidence was insufficient to show whether exercise is an effective treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
One small study suggested that HT is more effective than exercise .
Evidence was insufficient to show the relative effectiveness of exercise when compared with HT or yoga
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that many perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women will experience menopausal symptoms ; hot flushes are the most common .
Symptoms caused by fluctuating levels of oestrogen may be alleviated by hormone therapy ( HT ) , but a marked global decline in its use has result ed from concerns about the risks and benefits of HT .
Consequently , many women are seeking alternatives .
As large numbers of women are choosing not to take HT , it is increasingly important to identify evidence -based lifestyle modifications that have the potential to reduce vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of any type of exercise intervention in the management of vasomotor symptoms in symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .
Efficacy of exercise for menopausal symptoms: a randomized controlled trial
Objective This study aims to determine the efficacy of exercise training for alleviating vasomotor and other menopausal symptoms . Methods Late perimenopausal and postmenopausal sedentary women with frequent vasomotor symptoms ( VMS ) participated in a r and omized controlled trial conducted in three sites : 106 women r and omized to exercise and 142 women r and omized to usual activity . The exercise intervention consisted of individual facility-based aerobic exercise training three times per week for 12 weeks . VMS frequency and bother were recorded on daily diaries at baseline and on weeks 6 and 12 . Intent-to-treat analyses compared between-group differences in changes in VMS frequency and bother , sleep symptoms ( Insomnia Severity Index and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ) , and mood ( Patient Health Question naire-8 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 question naire ) . Results At the end of week 12 , changes in VMS frequency in the exercise group ( mean change , −2.4 VMS/d ; 95 % CI , −3.0 to −1.7 ) and VMS bother ( mean change on a four-point scale , −0.5 ; 95 % CI , −0.6 to −0.4 ) were not significantly different from those in the control group ( −2.6 VMS/d ; 95 % CI , −3.2 to −2.0 ; P = 0.43 ; −0.5 points ; 95 % CI , −0.6 to −0.4 ; P = 0.75 ) . The exercise group reported greater improvement in insomnia symptoms ( P = 0.03 ) , subjective sleep quality ( P = 0.01 ) , and depressive symptoms ( P = 0.04 ) , but differences were small and not statistically significant when P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons . Results were similar when considering treatment-adherent women only . Conclusions These findings provide strong evidence that 12 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise do not alleviate VMS but may result in small improvements in sleep quality , insomnia , and depression in midlife sedentary women
Evidence was insufficient to show whether exercise is an effective treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
One small study suggested that HT is more effective than exercise .
Evidence was insufficient to show the relative effectiveness of exercise when compared with HT or yoga
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that many perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women will experience menopausal symptoms ; hot flushes are the most common .
Symptoms caused by fluctuating levels of oestrogen may be alleviated by hormone therapy ( HT ) , but a marked global decline in its use has result ed from concerns about the risks and benefits of HT .
Consequently , many women are seeking alternatives .
As large numbers of women are choosing not to take HT , it is increasingly important to identify evidence -based lifestyle modifications that have the potential to reduce vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of any type of exercise intervention in the management of vasomotor symptoms in symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .