Suffering menopausal symptoms? Just go for a walk, scientists suggest

Going for a walk could be the best way to combat the misery of the menopause, new research suggests. 

British scientists found menopausal women who walk, dance or practice yoga regularly experience better quality of life and fewer mood swings. 

Experts said the findings could help more than a million women who currently endure distressing symptoms.  

More than half of women going through the menopause will suffer from low mood, anxiety or depression, as hormone levels fluctuate. 

Many are advised by their doctors to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to reduce these and other symptoms – but debate has raged for more than two decades about the safety of such drugs. 

Now experts from University College London (UCL) say exercising during the menopause can improve symptoms of depression. 

The study – published in the Menopause Journal – analysed 12 trials involving more than 1,000 women aged 40 to 65 to determine how physical activity affected psychological symptoms during the menopause. 

The researchers found aerobic-based exercises – such as walking, Zumba, dance and taekwondo – improved mood and overall quality of life.

This type of exercise appeared to be most beneficial during perimenopause, when levels of the sex hormone oestrogen fluctuate increasing the risk of mood swings. 

Mind-body activities including yoga and Pilates, meanwhile, improved women's 'psychological quality of life'. 

'Physical activity is an effective, accessible, non-pharmacological strategy to support psychological well-being and quality of life during midlife menopause,' Professor Aimee Spector, director of the UCL Menopause Mind Lab and study lead author said. 

She added that group classes can also help 'foster social connection and peer support' – both of which have been linked with improved quality of life during menopause. 

'Treatment options for menopause are limited, with many women being unable to or choosing not to take hormone therapy,' Simone Saidel, an NHS clinical psychologist and study co-author, added. 

'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.' 

Further research is now needed to established which forms of exercises are most beneficial and how they can easily be incorporated into women's routines.  

Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and is when sex hormone levels drop permanently and periods stop.

The most common symptoms include hot flushes, sleep issues, mood swings and vaginal dryness. Up to 80 per cent of women are thought to suffer with these symptoms, while a quarter endure anxiety, brain fog and memory problems.

It comes following promising research which found that HRT - currently prescribed to around two million women a year - may reduce the risk of dementia.

Scientists tracked more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK and found that those who had used HRT were 10 per cent less likely to develop any type of dementia and 16 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's. 

However, the findings came with the caveat that they are based on observational data so it is not possible to prove a causal link.

The researchers concluded that the study alone was not enough to confirm whether HRT should be used to reduce dementia, but provided further evidence that women face 'cliff-like' biological changes after their last period. 

The need for better menopause treatment is clear, with the global menopause supplement market now valued at nearly $17bn, as women look for ways to manage symptoms such as hot flushes, poor sleep and mood swings.