menopause symptom : Exercise Suggested 2
"It certainly can't hurt," she said.
Small studies have also suggested the pluses of exercise.
One by the American College of Sports Medicine showed strength training helped reduce hot flashes and headaches by 50 percent. Another published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found exercise boosted overall health-related quality of life measures in menopausal women.
And a third in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found exercise slowed the progression of hardening of the arteries, which is linked to lower levels of estrogen in women during menopause.
Exercise can lower the risk for cardiovascular disease in general and strengthen muscle to prevent fractures another risk factor that grows as estrogen levels decline, said Barbara Bushman, a professor of health and physical education at Missouri State University and author of "Action Plan for Menopause."
At the very least, staying active can temper secondary effects of menopause like insomnia and weight gain, said Cedric Bryant, chief scientist for the American Council on Exercise.
"You may not be able to totally eliminate (the symptoms), but it seems you can certainly alleviate them," Bryant said.
With exercise touted as a magic bullet for boosting everything from mental acuity to mood, it's no surprise that it may help during menopause, said Alysia Mastrangelo, a professor of physical therapy at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
Yet many women now going through that transition may have grown up in a time when a premium wasn't placed on physical activity, Mastrangelo said. "This is a group that historically doesn't exercise."
Experiences vary greatly, however, and some say exercise doesn't seem to curb their hot flashes at all. Marilyn Matrazzo, a 56-year-old resident of Colonie, an Albany suburb, said she's not sure her daily workouts help temper her hot flashes. But she persists to maintain a general sense of well-being.
"It helps everything I just have more 'oomph' during the day and sleep better," she said.
Copyright © 2006 ABCNews Internet Ventures
Small studies have also suggested the pluses of exercise.
One by the American College of Sports Medicine showed strength training helped reduce hot flashes and headaches by 50 percent. Another published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found exercise boosted overall health-related quality of life measures in menopausal women.
And a third in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found exercise slowed the progression of hardening of the arteries, which is linked to lower levels of estrogen in women during menopause.
Exercise can lower the risk for cardiovascular disease in general and strengthen muscle to prevent fractures another risk factor that grows as estrogen levels decline, said Barbara Bushman, a professor of health and physical education at Missouri State University and author of "Action Plan for Menopause."
At the very least, staying active can temper secondary effects of menopause like insomnia and weight gain, said Cedric Bryant, chief scientist for the American Council on Exercise.
"You may not be able to totally eliminate (the symptoms), but it seems you can certainly alleviate them," Bryant said.
With exercise touted as a magic bullet for boosting everything from mental acuity to mood, it's no surprise that it may help during menopause, said Alysia Mastrangelo, a professor of physical therapy at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
Yet many women now going through that transition may have grown up in a time when a premium wasn't placed on physical activity, Mastrangelo said. "This is a group that historically doesn't exercise."
Experiences vary greatly, however, and some say exercise doesn't seem to curb their hot flashes at all. Marilyn Matrazzo, a 56-year-old resident of Colonie, an Albany suburb, said she's not sure her daily workouts help temper her hot flashes. But she persists to maintain a general sense of well-being.
"It helps everything I just have more 'oomph' during the day and sleep better," she said.
Copyright © 2006 ABCNews Internet Ventures
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Home