Benefits of Walking on Menopausal Symptoms and Mental Health Outcomes among Chinese Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Background: Menopausal transition is often associated with impaired satisfaction with life (SL). Exercise is promising in both managing menopausal symptoms and improving subjective well-being of women after menopause. Purpose: This study examined the effects of a 4-month randomized controlled walking trial on menopausal symptoms and SL in 80 community-dwelling postmenopausal Chinese women (M age = 53.38, SD = 3.41), and identified predictors of changes in SL across the intervention. Methods: Participants completed assessment of physical activity, body composition, menopausal symptoms, and a battery of psychological measures before and after the intervention. Results: Walking was effective in reducing menopausal symptoms and depression as well as enhancing physical self-esteem and SL. In addition, changes in physical activity, menopausal symptoms, BMI, physical self-esteem, and depression were predictors of change in SL across the intervention. Conclusion: Walking could be recommended for post-menopausal women to manage menopausal symptoms and promote psychological well-being. Life satisfaction may be enhanced through the improvement of mental and physical parameters (e.g., menopausal symptoms, BMI and depression).

Keywords

• walking
• postmenopausal women
• menopausal symptoms
• life satisfaction