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 .
Effect of aerobic training on menopausal symptoms—a randomized controlled trial
Objective The aim of this study was to assess whether aerobic training affects menopausal symptoms in recently postmenopausal sedentary women . Methods Symptomatic women aged 45 to 63 years ( N = 176 ; 3 - 36 months since last menstruation ) were r and omly assigned to an aerobic training or a control group . The intervention included unsupervised aerobic training for 50 minutes four times weekly for 24 weeks , whereas the control group attended health lectures twice a month . Symptoms were reported twice a day using a mobile phone . The perceived disturbance of menopausal symptoms ( night sweats , mood swings , irritability , depressive mood , headache , vaginal dryness , and urinary symptoms ) was evaluated on a scale from 1 ( low ) to 5 ( high ) . Multilevel mixed-effect ordinal regression models were based on 17,000 responses during 24 weeks . Results One hundred fifty-four women continued until the end of the study ( 88 % compliance rate ) . Baseline prevalence was as follows : night sweats , 50 % to 60 % ; irritability and depression , 20 % to 25 % ; mood swings , 25 % to 30 % ; headache and urinary problems , 15 % to 20 % ; and vaginal dryness , 10 % to 15 % . The prevalence of all symptoms except vaginal dryness decreased among intervention groups . According to multilevel mixed-effect ordinal regression analysis , night sweats and mood swings ( P < 0.001 ) and disturbance of the mood swings ( P < 0.001 ) and irritability ( P < 0.001 ) were reduced more among the women in the intervention group than in the control group . Conclusions In sedentary women , aerobic training for 6 months may decrease the typical menopausal symptoms , especially night sweats , mood swings , and irritability
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 .