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Engaging in physical activity during menopause can improve depression, mood and overall quality of life, a new study led by UCL researchers has found. Published in Menopause, the review of more than 1,000 women studied the effects of physical activity on psychological well-being and quality of life during perimenopause and early postmenopause.

Menopause is when a woman's periods stop due to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. It is estimated that there are currently around 13 million perimenopausal or menopausal women in the U.K.

Many women experience psychological symptoms during menopause, including depression, low mood, anxiety, stress and difficulties with thinking and memory. These can have a significant impact on their quality of life, with an estimated one in 10 women leaving work due to menopause symptoms.

The study found physical activity, such as walking, dance and yoga, may help improve some of these psychological symptoms and overall quality of life during this period.

As part of a systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers assessed 12 randomized controlled trials involving more than 1,000 women to determine how different types of physical activity impacted psychological symptoms during menopause.

Types of physical activity were broken into two categories: aerobic-based exercise (ABIs), which included walking, Zumba, aerobic exercise, dance and taekwondo, and mind-body activities (MBAs), which were made up of yoga, tai chi, Pilates and stretching.

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