Take the plunge and tackle your menopause symptoms
Cold water swimming has surged in popularity, with a growing body of science backing up its health benefits – and now research suggests it could help alleviate menopause symptoms, too.
A team at University College London (UCL) surveyed 1,114 women who regularly swam in cold water, including 785 who were menopausal.
Some 46.9% said cold water swimming helped their anxiety, 34.5% said their mood swings had improved, while a fifth noted reduced night sweats and 31.1% said hot flushes had improved.
Commenting on the findings, published in Post Reproductive Health, senior author Professor Joyce Harper, of the UCL EGA Institute for Women’s Health, said: “Cold water has previously been found to improve mood and reduce stress in outdoor swimmers, and ice baths have long been used to aid athletes’ muscle repair and recovery.
“Our study supports these claims, meanwhile the anecdotal evidence also highlights how the activity can be used by women to alleviate physical symptoms, such as hot flushes, aches and pains.”
Here are some other activities with research-backed benefits for easing menopause symptoms...
Running (or any cardio!)
Entering midlife and beyond doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to high-impact exercise. In fact, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists cites aerobic exercise – such as jogging and running – as an evidence-based lifestyle measure to help manage menopause.
It’s never too late to start, either. A 2012 study looking at how aerobic training affects recently postmenopausal women who’d previously had sedentary lifestyles, found after six months, symptoms had improved. High-impact activity has also been linked with supporting bone density – which is especially important as the drop in oestrogen that happens with menopause can cause weakened bones and osteoporosis.
Yoga
With reduced anxiety and inflammation among its many benefits, it’s no wonder research also suggests yoga could help with menopause.
One study, published in 2022 in Nursing & Health Sciences, found yoga was particularly associated with improved sleep among periand post-menopausal women.
Strength training
Resistance or strength-training exercise is especially important for women once they hit 40 – firstly because being strong helps manage the effects of oestrogen loss and the higher risk of osteoporosis. It also supports metabolic function.
One study found menopausal women who took up resistance training (lifting weights or dumbbells, using the strength-building gym machines or just your own bodyweight with a mat-based workout), had better muscle mass than those who only did cardio.
One data review published last year found all forms of regular exercise – including aerobic and resistance training – were associated with better cardiorespiratory fitness after menopause.