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Exercise Lowers Anxiety and Stress in Menopausal Women

Women entering and progressing through menopause have one more piece of information to add to their arsenal. According to a nine-year study conducted by Deborah Nelson, PhD, and her colleagues at Temple University, walking an hour and a half a day, five days a week, reduces stress and anxiety in pre- through post-menopausal women. Black women especially seemed to derive benefit from a consistent walking program.

The study followed 380 women over an eight-year period after their recruitment in 1996-97. In order to study under-represented urban Caucasian and African-American women, all women were recruited from the Philadelphia area. The average age at the beginning of the study was 42 years; 49 percent were African American, 58 percent reported more than a high school education, and 38 percent smoked cigarettes. Women reported a variety of menopause-related issues including stress, anxiety, depression, and hot flashes.

Their levels of activity were defined in three tiers: the top-tier walked at a moderate pace (4 miles per hour) for an hour and a half at least five times a week; the middle tier walked five times a week for 40 minutes; the bottom tier walked for 15 minutes about five times a week and were considered non-exercisers for the purpose of the study.

Results showed that high levels of physical activity correlated to lower levels of stress. Levels of depression and anxiety were further lower in highly physically active post-menopausal women compared to their less physical counterparts. These benefits were found to be especially notable for black women. Researchers did not achieve their goal of finding an alternate to hormone-replacement therapy for treating hot flashes, however.

Full text of the study will appear in the January issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.