A review led by researchers at University College London has found that physical activity may help ease depressive symptoms and improve quality of life for women during perimenopause and early post-menopause. The findings bring together 12 randomised trials involving 1,003 women, but the authors stress that the evidence is not strong enough to establish a single best exercise programme.
The review examined non-physical symptoms, including depression, mood, anxiety, stress, cognition and quality of life. It focused on women aged 40 to 65 experiencing the menopause transition, rather than treating every woman after menopause as one group. The included trials took place in Brazil, China, Tunisia, India, Iran, South Korea and the United States.
Different activities, different measures
The researchers grouped activities into aerobic exercise and mind-body exercise. The first category included walking, Zumba, dance, aerobic workouts and Taekwondo. The second included yoga, tai chi, Pilates and stretching.
Aerobic activities showed the clearest signal for reducing depressive symptoms and improving overall quality of life. Mind-body activities were associated with improvements in psychological quality of life. The studies did not test one uniform routine: programmes lasted from six weeks to six months, and scheduled activity ranged from twice to seven times a week.
Some examples were more accessible than a demanding gym plan. One trial asked participants to walk for 30 minutes three times weekly; another used three hour-long Zumba classes each week. Yoga programmes varied too, from two 75-minute sessions weekly to daily hour-long sessions. These are examples from separate trials, not prescriptions that the review found suitable for everyone.
Benefits were reported in women going through perimenopause and those in early post-menopause. The review describes early post-menopause as the period beginning after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. The results do not show that exercise prevents menopause, replaces medical care or will improve symptoms for every individual.
Promising, but not definitive
The evidence has important weaknesses. Ten of the 12 studies were judged to have a high risk of bias, with concerns including missing data, limited blinding and reliance on participants’ own reports of symptoms. The researchers also found substantial variation between studies, and the depression findings differed considerably from trial to trial. That makes the apparent benefit less certain than a simple average might suggest.
Although 12 trials met the review’s criteria, not all supplied data suitable for pooling in a meta-analysis. Eleven contributed usable outcome data overall, and only five studies, covering 374 participants, contributed to the pooled depression result. Results for one outcome should not be mistaken for evidence across every symptom or activity.
Most programmes were supervised, and many involved group sessions. The review authors noted that social contact could have contributed to participants’ experience, alongside movement itself. The trials were not designed to separate those effects cleanly, so the findings cannot establish that group exercise is better than doing the same activity alone.
The researchers say more high-quality trials are needed to compare types and doses of activity and determine how programmes might fit into menopause care. For now, the review adds evidence that movement could be one supportive option, rather than a guaranteed treatment or a substitute for an individual discussion with a clinician.
Its practical message is measured: walking, dance, yoga and other activities are worth studying as potential ways to support wellbeing, but the evidence remains uneven. Women’s symptoms, health and ability to exercise differ, and the review does not prescribe a particular routine. Stronger and more consistent research will be needed before firm recommendations can be drawn about which activity works best, for whom, and at what intensity.
