Berlins Today
Physical activity during the menopause can enhance a woman’s mood, according to new research. Engaging in walking, dance or yoga can alleviate symptoms of depression and lead to an overall boost in a woman’s quality of life during this stage, the findings suggest. Experts from University College London (UCL) analysed 12 trials involving 1,003 women aged 40 to 65 to evaluate how exercise impacts psychological symptoms during the menopause.
Publishing their study in the Menopause Journal , the researchers said that physical activity "significantly improved" depression, mood and overall quality of life. Significant reductions in depression were found in perimenopause and early post-menopause , they said, with other improvements seen in the early post-menopausal period. When they looked at specific types of exercise, the researchers found aerobic-based exercise – including walking, Zumba, aerobic exercise, dance and taekwondo – improved mood and overall quality of life.
Mind-body activities – such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates and stretching – improved a woman’s ‘psychological quality of life’. Mind-body activities – such as yoga – improved a woman’s ‘psychological quality of life’ (Getty/iStock) “Physical activity is an effective, accessible, non-pharmacological strategy to support psychological well-being and quality of life during midlife menopause,” said senior author of the study, Professor Aimee Specto, director of the UCL Menopause Mind Lab. “The majority of the interventions also used group-based formats, likely to foster social connection and peer support, both being factors associated with improved quality of life during menopause.” Lead author and NHS clinical psychologist Simone Saidel added: “Treatment options for menopause are limited, with many women being unable to or choosing not to take hormone therapy.
“There are also significant health inequalities in terms of HRT access, and ethnic variations in attitudes towards it. “This study plays an important role in expanding the options available for symptom management, whereby clinicians may recommend it as an early intervention or an adjunct to medical or psychological treatments.” It comes after a new study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, found that women’s bodies face ‘cliff-like’ biological changes when they have their last period. Symptoms of depression in adults NHS The psychological symptoms of depression include: Continuous low mood or sadness Feeling hopeless and helpless having low self-esteem Feeling tearful Feeling guilt-ridden Feeling irritable and intolerant of others Having no motivation or interest in things Finding it difficult to make decisions Not getting any enjoyment out of life Feeling anxious or worried Having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself Menopause is linked to multiple changes in a woman’s body, but researchers say the timing of these changes has been difficult to establish because a woman’s last period is rarely recorded.
Researchers created a computational model to examine the changes which was inspired by those used in by astronomy. “When astronomers look at a star through a telescope, the image gets distorted. Each point of light is blurred according to something called the point spread function, which they know precisely,” said corresponding author Professor Uri Alon, from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
“They can then deconvolve, or correct for, that blur to get a sharper image. “In our case, the blurred image was the value of a lab test, say cholesterol, as a function of age. It’s smeared out around age 50, because every woman has her final menstrual period at a different time.
So we deconvolved out that variation from the blurred lab data.” Menopause is linked to multiple changes in a woman’s body, but researchers say the timing of these changes has been difficult to establish because a woman’s last period is rarely recorded (Getty/iStock) The computational method was used on 300 million laboratory tests from more than one million women in the United States and Israel performed between 1999 and 2024. Prof Alon said: “When we did this, we saw a cliff – at the final menstrual period, there was a sharp jump across many lab tests spanning physiology.” Researchers reported abrupt changes to sex hormones, bone health, liver and kidney function, blood chemistry and blood fats around a woman’s final period. They said this “step-like physiological cliff” at a woman’s final period are “markedly” reduced by hormone replacement therapy.
“Notably, we find that male individuals lack these abrupt physiological shifts, suggesting that the cliff is a consequence of the menopausal transition rather than general aging,” they wrote. The researchers also found “transient” increases in sleep problems and depression around the time of the final period. Researchers found that “dysregulation” in three major sex hormones began around a decade before the final period, adding: “This is consistent with sex hormone fluctuations and cycle irregularity in the late menopause transition.” If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI) or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
Source: The Independent
